A Nation of Pillow Talkers as Half of Mobile Users Admit to Using Their Phone in Bed

    LONDON, ENGLAND, March 07, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- - On the street (76%), public transport (63%) and bed (55%) are amongst the most common places that mobile phones are used.
- A third of mobile phone owners admit to using their phone in the bathroom and one in 10 have done so at a wedding or christening

Mobile phone etiquette exists no more as over half (55%) of British mobile owners admit to using their phone in bed, and one in three (34%) admitting to using their phone during dinner, according to new online research from Lloyds TSB, one of the UK's leading digital banking providers.

It seems commonplace now for mobile phones to be used in situations previously thought unacceptable, including at work, home and during variety of social occasions. As a sign that the old rules of social etiquette are breaking down, the majority of consumers no longer think using a phone in bed or a public toilet is unacceptable.

The research reveals that, more than one in three mobile owners (35%) admit to using their phone whilst in their own bathroom, and almost a quarter (24%) has used their phone in a public toilet. What's more, three in four use their phone in the street (76%); nearly two thirds (63%) use their phone on public transport (63%); 12% have used their phone in a meeting or during a presentation; over one in ten (11%) have used their phone at the theatre, cinema or at a concert, rising to just under a third (29%) among the under 25s; and nearly one in ten (9%) have used their phone during a wedding, a christening, or other religious ceremony.

Considering the growing use of mobile phones, it is unsurprising that a large number of consumers no longer believe it is unacceptable to use a phone in many of these situations. Only half of Brits think it is unacceptable to use a phone during dinner at a restaurant (51%), whilst only one in five (21%) do not agree with using a phone in a public toilet. However, over two thirds (70%) still agree it is unacceptable to use a phone at the theatre, cinema or concert hall.

The prevalence of mobile phone use across all areas of day to day living is likely a result of the fact that we are now using them to perform a number of everyday tasks. In addition to calling and texting, almost half of owners (45%) use their mobile phone as a camera at least once a week; a third are social networking through their phone (30%), and a similar number are emailing (34%) on a regular basis. However, a sign that phones really are becoming a one stop shop is that more than one in ten (11%) respondents now uses their phone for banking.

Ashley Machin, director of digital banking at Lloyds TSB said:
"This research shows how quickly mobile phones are becoming the most versatile and important gadget in peoples' lives. They are clearly changing the way we live as evidenced by the speed with which mobile banking is growing."

Additional findings:
- A staggering 84% of 18-24 year old mobile phone owners admit to using their phone in bed, in contrast to only 31% of the 55 and overs.
- Male owners are more likely than women to use their phone in a public toilet (26% vs. 22% respectively).
- A third of British mobile owners use their phone during dinner at home (34%), and a quarter would use it in a restaurant (25%).

Lloyds TSB's new mobile banking app reached 1.5 million downloads this month, having launched in late 2011. The new app allows Lloyds TSB UK Internet Banking customers to log on to their accounts and make transactions, providing them with a smarter way to manage their bank account on the go. In addition, it enables anyone who has downloaded the app to find their nearest Lloyds TSB branch, Lloyds TSB CashPoint or any of the 72,000 LINK ATMs belonging to any bank across the UK.

Website: http://www.lloydstsb.com

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