Texting, entertainment equally important for smartphone users

New York: Smartphone users spend as much time on seeking entertainment as texting to connect with friends and family, according to a recent study.

The survey, conducted by US-based media and consumer research company GfK MRI from September-November 2015, found that 22 percent of time spent on smartphones was devoted to games, music, web surfing, and watching streamed content, which was the same proportion devoted to texting.

Researchers asked 5,900 smartphone owners which smartphone activities are most important to them first thing in the morning.

The respondents mentioned texting most often (67 percent), but also placed entertainment apps like streaming music services above Twitter and other well-known platforms.

Phone calls also accounted for another 22 percent of time, while social media and emails each accounted for 10 percent of respondents' time.

The recently published study Mobile Now also revealed that roughly four in ten (39 percent) of smartphone owners are either ardent mobile embracers (24 percent), who integrate their smartphones into every aspect of their lives, or entertainment seekers (15 percent) -- young singles who are drawn to mobile gaming and watching streaming video.