Today’s Britons in the grip of 'nomo-phobia'
For nearly one in five phone users being out of mobile-phone contact is as stressful as moving house or breaking up with a partner, according to a survey from YouGov. But this can only be a good thing for marketers who want to communicate to customers through mobile phones.
Anxiety over running out of battery or credit, losing one's handset and not having network coverage affects 53 per cent of the UK's 45 million mobile-phone users suggesting that many Britons are in the grip of what’s now known as "nomo-phobia".
Stewart Fox-Mills, the head of telephony at the Post Office, which commissioned the survey, said "nomo-phobia" was a real phenomenon for many people. "We're all familiar with the stressful situations of everyday life such as moving house, break-ups and organising a family Christmas, but it seems being out of mobile contact may be the 21st century's contribution to our already manic lives," he said. "Being phoneless and panicked is a symptom of our 24/7 culture."
According to the survey, men were more likely than women to be affected by losing mobile phone contact, with 48 per cent of women and 58 per cent of men admitting to feelings of anxiety. More than 20 per cent of the 2,163 people questioned said they never switched off their mobiles, and one in 10 said their job required them to be contactable at all times.
The ban on mobile phone use on planes has posed a problem for those who feel the need to be contactable. But last month, Ofcom, the communications regulator, confirmed British airline passengers could use mobiles on aircraft flying above 3,000m from as early as next year.
This ever increasing dependency people have on their mobile phones can only be a good thing for marketers. Customers are much more aware of being sold to when it comes to traditional direct mail campaigns but mobile marketing is very much the way forward for communicating B2C.
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