Cell Phone “Over-Usage” Issues & Sexting

We don’t mean to be crass, but yet another study has recently come out informing us of our cell phone “over usage” issues, including the somewhat disturbing stat that some 20% of us have dropped a cell phone in the toilet. What are those cell phones doing in such close proximity to commodes? Well, just ask the 75% of Americans who admit to texting while on the toilet. Overall, it’s a pretty good ratio of successful texting to cell phone dumps, we suppose.Not to mention “sexting.” If you thought disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner sending images of his House “member” around the country last year was the last word in tacky online sexual behavior, think again. The Online College infographic documenting rude mobile matter also finds that 25% of cell phone users have sent a text during sex! Some more adventurous types (15%) will even answer their phone.

There are 330 million cell phones in America for slightly more than 300 million people. Not counting the pre-K crowd, that data implies that there are more than a few Americans walking around with two or more cell phones. In spite of these distasteful findings, among other well known bad habits, like texting while driving and talking three times louder than normal when on a cell phone call, 90% of Americans believe they have excellent mobile manners. Uh-huh.

In other mobile matter this week, a baseball fan had his head down at a San Diego Padres game, busily checking in on Facebook, when he was struck in the chest by a foul ball. Ouch! The incident made a much-watched YouTube clip, and after a beer and an ice pack the good-natured fan shrugged off the embarrassment. In a game where hits and misses sometimes come down to a matter of inches, we estimate the distance from this guy’s chest to his head was close enough to make us pay better attention next time we’re at the ballpark.

Wonder what’s going to happen to the payphone, that once ubiquitous communication device on street corners around the world? New York City, with more than 12,000 payphone kiosks still standing, is trialling turning them into wifi hotspots.