Our survey reveals new generations of "Yummies" fear desert island effect

A recent iome survey into the social impact of mobile phones has identified the UK’s deep rooted emotional bond with handheld devices that gives mobile phones a vital role in our social lives. Almost a third of respondents (31 per cent) confirmed they would feel “completely lost” and “isolated” if they mislaid their mobile phone, with a further 25 per cent stating that the loss of a mobile would cut them off from their friends and family and have a major impact on their social life. Just 12 per cent of people surveyed believed that they would benefit from losing their mobile, stating that it would make them “feel free”, “less distracted” and able to “lead a richer life”.

from this piece of research we have identified a new segment of young, mobile internet enabled socialisers: “Yummies”.

Over two thirds of the survey respondents are now frequently using their mobile phones to access the Internet. Of these, 81 per cent use their mobile to get maps and directions and 70 per cent use their mobile to stay in touch with friends and family via social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

One in 80 mobile internet enabled respondents admitted to using their mobile phones to enjoy their vices: including accessing adult content and online gambling sites.

Our survey has demonstrated that following on from the Yuppies of the 1980’s, often identifiable by holding loud business conversations on large ostentatious mobile phones, we now have a new generation of Yummies who rely on their mobile phone as the main interface with their social network and the sole repository of their contacts. In fact our survey respondents seem to harbour a deep fear of losing their phone in case they are cast into a digital wilderness, cut off from interaction and updates from their friends and family.

So keen are people to stay in touch that their mobile literally goes everywhere with them: a fifth of the survey respondents admitted to dropping their mobile phone down the toilet.

Future features on mobile users’ wish lists included being able to watch live TV broadcasts on their phone, having integrated satellite navigation and an everlasting battery, to more unusual suggestions such as incorporating an electric shaver for ‘grooming on the go’ and science fiction requests for teleportation from their mobile phone.

Are we less connected than ever before?

It has been on my mind for sometime that in this "always-on, digital world" we are supposedly better connected than ever before, however in reality is this really the case?

We can now interact with our family, friends and colleagues 24 hours a day via many devices and methods but does this mean our relationships are better for it?

Recent press has spoken of Facebook and how it doesn't encourage friendships in the traditional sense and that the focus for Gen Y is quantity of friends rather than quality. Is this because we now have so many digital touch-points? are we becoming the "over-communicated" generation?

I was thinking about the last time I actually popped in to see a friend for a coffee so we could have a face to face catch up, it has been some weeks now as I prefer to check-in using IM, text and Facebook, what did I do before these tools? Have my relationships changed since using these?

We are no longer judging people by their facial expressions, tone of voice or body language but

increasingly by the emoticon at the end of their post