Millennials' social boundaries changed by mobile | News

UK — Mobile phones have changed the boundaries of what is socially acceptable among 16 – 24 year olds with almost three quarters ( 74%) saying they can’t be parted from their phones.

Almost two thirds said they check their phones while out with friends or colleagues if there is a lull in conversation and 29% think it’s acceptable to use their mobile in a work meeting according to a study from media agency Havas Media Labs and mobile commerce platform Weve.

However it rises to 38% of 25 – 34 year olds considering using phones in a meeting acceptable.

Some findings were more bizarre than others: 79% consider it the norm to use their phones on the toilet and the majority thought it was fine to use their phones in designated quiet zones.

And the proliferation of mobiles has changed behaviours in other ways; millennials admit to planning less ( 35%) as the ease of communications using smartphones and social media allows for more spontaneous get-togethers. Two-thirds agreed that they were more confident exploring new places knowing they had map apps on their smartphones to help with navigation.

The study questioned 3,000 16-24 year-olds in the UK in May.