According to the findings of a new Harris poll, very few smartphone users are actually taking advantage of all that their sophisticated devices can do.
“Smart phones today can store information to make our lives more efficient,” the announcement from Harris reads, “However, when asked about a list of items that one could scan their mobile or smart phone for, only small minorities report having done so in each case.
On Wednesday, the findings of the survey were published, and they are definitely eye-opening.
Only 5% of Americans say that they have scanned their phone for admission to a movie or as an airline ticket, and fewer say they have done so to pay for clothing or electronics (3%), admission to a concert, live theater or performance (3%), to pay for a convenience item such as coffee (3%) or something else (7%).
Incredibly, two in five smartphone users reveal they have never scanned their mobile or smart phone for any reason (40%) and slightly more say they do not have a mobile or smart phone with this capability (45%).
It seems at the moment technology capabilities outpace changing behavior—there are many new functions available that most people either haven’t tried or admit to being uncomfortable with. This presents an interesting conundrum—it seems people like having the latest in technology, as the wait lists and lines for newly released products indicate, yet beyond early adopters, many people don’t take advantage of the new functions available to them. As some of this technology becomes more commonplace, it will be interesting to see how Americans begin to incorporate it into their lives.
After reading the findings of the new Harris poll, do you believe you make the most of your smartphone?
