Most of us are guilty of using our phone at gigs, and festivals, even if it’s just to take some happy snaps, but the results of a new survey prove that way too many millennials are spending most of their concert-going time glued to their device.
Research conducted by Harris Poll for the Ticketfly event ticketing service (via Billboard) has examined just how much time people are spending staring into their phones at live events, and the results are in.
According to the survey, 31 per cent of 18-34 year olds who own a smartphone and attend live events say they’re on their device during HALF of the event they’re attending. Some even said they’re on their phone for MORE THAN HALF of the show. MORE THAN HALF!
The survey suggests that the phones being used inside venues are usually recording the show or being used to spread FOMO.
From a gender standpoint, according to the research, it’s the ladies who seem to be using their phones at gigs the most, with 40 per cent of 18-34 year old females using their phones to capture the show, compared to 24 per cent of males.
Women are also supposedly 59 per cent more likely to share their experiences on social media during the concert.
Harris Poll’s survey found that just under 15 per cent of 18-34 year olds say they never ever use their phone during live events. It’s reassuring, but we think the real number could be even lower, given that the survey’s results came from what survey participants have told researchers, and not from observed recordings of how long punters are actually using their phones.
The use of phones at concerts has annoyed both concert-goers and performing artists over the years, with many publicly announcing their dislike of phone-happy fans.
Eagles famously called some of their own fans “entitled” for staring into their phones last year, while Australia’s own Chet Faker shared his views on why people should put their phones away earlier this year, with emphasis on the live “connection” which phones can often erode.
Others have had less diplomatic responses than Chet Faker, including The Ramones’ Marky Ramone, who came up with a suitably more punk solution for the problem. Catch his foolproof fix below, and promise us you’ll keep that pesky phone at bay next time you’re at a show.
Watch: Solution For Assholes Who Hold Up Phones At Concerts (Starring Marky Ramone)
