Caroline Melly is a American Studies Major at Trinity College and recently did a study of young adults (college students) and their mobile behaviors.

1. The Mobile Life of a Young Adult

2. Survey Monkey
• 10 survey questions asking young adults
about their daily mobile usage
• 8 multiple choice and 2 short answer
questions
• 56 young adults completed the survey
• http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S2GTMF8

3. Young adults grab for mobile
• Wake up and check (in order): iMessage, Instagram,
Facebook, email, then missed calls
96.23% of the survey takers admitted to checking their
mobile device first thing in the morning, before going to brush
their teeth, reassuring that young adults are always “on”.

4. #2 In the morning what is the first app you check
on your mobile device?
A text message is a personal way of communication, thus
making its importance and urgency higher than Email,
Facebook, and daily news

5. Mobile use at school
• Mobile is in constant use in the classroom, library,
walking to and from places, gym, meals, EVERYWHERE
• It is a tool to make plans and connect with friends
• Influx in checking text, email, and social media apps
which at school
• It can act as a device to further your education
experience with the help of educational apps

6. Mobile use in the classroom
• Check email, text, and social media apps
• Discrete use under the desk
• Use news, internet, game apps
• High use is due to boredom in class
• Helpful calculator, voice notes, reminder apps
• Increase in tablet use in class room

7. #3 Where do you first look for daily news?
A computer is still the leading device for daily news, but
mobile is creeping up rapidly among young adults

8. Common mobile news apps
FlipBoard Spun Accuweather
The Onion Cnet Pulse

9. #4. On average how many people do you text a day?
Depending on the person, it varies how many people they
text a day, but on average is 4-7 people. Personally I think
there should be more 10+ answers

10. Mass communicating apps used on a 24/7 basis
GroupMe WhatsApp
SnapChat FindMyFriends

11. #5. How do you connect and share on a week day?
Text messaging is the leading way in contacting a friend and I do not see
that changing any time soon. Facebook and Instargram are huge hubs for
sharing photos and status. In general people like using all three social
networking platforms.

12. Facebook Mobile usage
• Connect with long distant friends or family
• Check up on photos
• Chat with someone whose number you may not have
• Share photos from my mobile device
• Quick search a person or brand

13. Facebook and Twitter come as second nature for young
adults
They should just come with the phone upon
purchase

14. #6. Do you like photos more on Facebook or Instagram?
People like both the photos shared on Instagram and
Facebook, but it is much more common among young adults
to “Like” photos on Instagram, for it is not as personal as a
Facebook “Like”.

15. Instagram
Friendly yet extremely competitive
Apps that boost your photo ability and credibility
InstaCollage Followers Camera+
Stats

16. Examples of bragging and successful Instagram posts
Editing photos on Instagram with the provided filters and/or
additional apps has created a network of truly spectacular
photos

17. Common Young Adult App folders
Gym Pocket Trainer Social Center
Many young adults do not like excessive home screen
pages due to their already unorganized lifestyle, so folders
are a way to minimize the clutter

18. Common Apps on a Male Homescreen
Gaming apps as well as sport apps are much more common to
find on a young male adult’s home screen

19. Common Apps on a Female Homescreen
Social networking and wellness apps are extremely common to
find on a young female adult’s home screen

20. Home mobile usage
• Less usage than at school or in the city
• Acts much more like a communication device
• Increase in mobile conversations with parents
• Check in with social networking apps but not as much
sharing
• Different set of contacts vary from place to place

21. Weekend Mobile Life
• The epidemic Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) has plagued
young adults across the country due to:
SocialCam Instagram
A form of instantly bragging about your current whereabouts,
entourage, and scene through edited videos and photos

22. Mobile use out at dinner
• Constant use at the
dinner table among
young adults
• Feel a need to be
contactable and
connected
Venmo
Venmo app is used to even out and fairly
split the bill when out with a large group of
friends

23. #6. When sitting down at a meal with friends how
frequently do you check your phone for notifications?
It is clear from this data that mobile devices are primarily
incorporated into meals on a daily basis. To classify an
intimate meal, is a phoneless meal for that’s when you are
solely alone

24. Mobile use in a city
• High mobile app usage
• High texting rate
• Connecting to make plans not have conversation
• Maps for directions and finding locations

25. App usage in a city
• Increase in mobile use between planning the night out,
sharing photos and status
Results in
low/dead battery
Charging case
lengthens the night

26. #7. Fastest way of contacting a group of friends to make
weekend plans?
Plans are always changing in the young adult world. In order
to stay completely in contact with everyone, mass
texting/communicating is the way to successfully plan.

27. Most popular app among young adults
• Shattered screen, water damage, and stolen phones is
highly common in the young adult world
Find My iPhone
• GPS works incredibly well
• Most common app out of all
the home page screen shots
• Connects with iCloud

28. Apendex
Take note of the diverse app folders and the amount of social
planning apps

29. There are very similar apps across the board with young
adults due to trends, but of course some people have their
own personal interest and style

30. Notice the number of photo editing apps, as well as the mass
amount of social networking apps