Smartphones too important for even low income youth to put down

Smartphones are considered such a necessity to today's youth that more than half of those earning less than £15,000 now own at least one device.

Nielsen's survey considered the views of more than 20,000 mobile users from the ages of 18 upwards, earning between £15,000 and £100,000 per year.

Over half of those surveyed making less than $15K a year, between the ages of 18 to 24, own a smartphone. By comparison, only 20% of respondents who made less than $15K a year reported owning a smartphone that were over the age of 45.

No surprises that the report shows that owning a smartphone is tied to age and income. What is surprising is that amongst every age group except 18-24, the greater the wealth the higher the smartphone ownership rate.

The 18-24 age group bracket is the only group surveyed that shows a different correlation - those that are in the poorest bracket (below £15,000) actually have a higher rate of smartphone ownership than those earning £15,000-£35,000.

The rate of smartphone ownership amongst this group is indeed higher than most other income and age groups. For example, the ownership rate of those between the ages of 18-24, earning less than 15,000 is now higher than anyone over the age of 35 - excluding the wealthy (those earning more than £75,000).

Interestingly, at the other end of the spectrum, Neilsen's study shows that those aged 55-64 who make over £100K are just as likely to own a smartphone as anyone making £75,000 or less in the 45-54 age group (38% and 41% respectively).

The trend seems to show that age is still the dominant factor in smartphone ownership. Older people were less likely to own a smartphone in every income bracket. While among the younger population it is becoming increasingly evident that smartphones are no longer being viewed as a luxury, but as a necessity.

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