If someone offered you a bunch of money to give up having a smartphone ever again, how much would you ask for? What’s your price? How much of the old cash money would ya want?
Before you answer, think about how much you use a smartphone everyday. Would you be willing to forgo the convenience we’re all so used to now in exchange for currency? Imagine being out and not being able to easily transfer money from your bank or quickly whip out Google Maps to figure out where you’re going.
According to research conducted by LivePerson, 43 percent of young Australian respondents said it would take $5 million to cough up their smartphone for good. Interestingly, 8 percent would do it for $50,000, but a higher 15 percent would do it for just $10,000.
The research also found that only a third of respondents communicate with others in-person on a daily basis, with the rest opting for texts, social media and email communication.
Furthermore, over 60 percent of Aussie Millennials and Gen Z are willing to leave the house without their wallets, but not their phones. Given smartphones are now being used as a method of contactless payment, this one probably isn’t all that shocking.
The survey collected data from over 4,000 18–34-year-olds across Australia, the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and France, showing some pretty stark social contrasts across different cultures.
For example, when respondents were asked which apps they would choose to delete if they had to, the majority of Aussies would choose to keep social media apps over practical ones, whereas those in France, Germany and Japan would choose to keep the latter.
It’s official, folks, we can’t go without our smartphones unless someone throws a shitload of cash in our faces. You can suss out the entire paper here if you’re keen.
