Finding Balance in a Wired World

In a joint poll, Real Simple and The Huffington Post asked 3,583 women how smartphones and social media affect their lives. (Most participants were over the age of 30, and about half have children.) Here’s what we learned.

Start Slideshow

1 of 21

How Often Do You Check Your Smartphone?

Studio Analogous

Based on the results, 76 percent of respondents say they check their smartphones at least once an hour. Of those, almost half sneak a peekevery 15 minutes (or even more frequently).

2 of 21

What is Your Primary Means of Communication With Your…

Studio Analogous

Respondents have specific ways of communicating with different people in their lives.

3 of 21

Does Anyone Complain That You're on Your Devices Too Much?

Studio Analogous

Sixty-four percent say no one ever complained.

4 of 21

Where Do You Keep Your Smartphone During Dinner?

Studio Analogous

Fifty-six percent of women keep their smartphones near enough to hear during dinner. Another 12 percent actually set them on the table.

5 of 21

Where Do You Keep Your Smartphone While Sleeping?

Studio Analogous

Forty-seven percent keep their smartphones on their nightstands so they can check them first thing in the morning. Five percent sleep with their phones in their beds.

6 of 21

Where is the Most Questionable Place You've Checked Your Smartphone?

Studio Analogous

Women use their devices in some questionable spots. Thirty-nine percent look at their phones in the bathroom. One respondent admits: "I bought a waterproof case so I could check my news feeds in the shower."

7 of 21

Have You Ever Texted While Driving?

Studio Analogous

Three in four women admit they've texted while driving. Thirty-nine percent say they wait for a red light to text.

8 of 21

Would You Rather Lose Your Smartphone or Get a Bad Haircut?

Studio Analogous

Fifty-one percent say they'd rather lose their smartphone.

9 of 21

Would You Rather Go a Month Without Your Smartphone or a Month Without Your BFF?

Studio Analogous

Sixty-six percent would prefer being without their phones for a month than without their best friends. (Apparently "Girls' Night Out" is more satisfying than a roll in the hay.)

10 of 21

Would You Rather Go a Month Without Your Smartphone or a Month Without Sex?

Studio Analogous

Almost half of respondents say they would rather go without sex for a month than without their smartphones.

11 of 21

Have You Lost Touch With Friends or Family Because They're Not on Social Media?

Studio Analogous

Sixty-seven percent say they haven't lost touch with friends and family.

12 of 21

Have You Ever Taken Yourself off Facebook, Twitter, or Another Social-Media Platform?

Studio Analogous

Eighty percent have considered taking themselves off Facebook, Twitter, or another social-media platform at some point, and 41 percent of those have gone through with it. Why? Here's what we heard:

"Too much drama"

"I didn't care about hearing other people's random thoughts."

"I gave it up for Lent."

"#Too many darn #hashtags were driving me #crazy!"

"It was making me jealous of others, and I was trying to make them jealous of me."

13 of 21

Overall, How Has Social Media Affected Your Relationships With Close Friends?

Studio Analogous

While 39 percent say there has been no major impact, a few admit their online personalities make them like friends less.

14 of 21

How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Think That You Lose a Week Because You're Staying Up Late to Be Online?

Studio Analogous

More than half of respondents say they don't lose a minute of shut-eye.

15 of 21

If You Could Use Only One Social-Media Platform, Which Would it Be?

Studio Analogous

How do you "like" that? When forced to choose just one social-media platform, 57 percent picked Facebook.

16 of 21

How Has Social Media Changed Your Life?

Oliver Munday

Less boring. More convenient. More frivolous. Here's a round-up of ways social media has been life-changing.

17 of 21

When Using Social Media, You Feel...

Oliver Munday

A mix of emotions. See the chart at left.

18 of 21

Are You Addicted to Your Digital Devices?

Studio Analogous

After all this, 74 percent of respondents say they are not addicted to their digital devices. (Denial?)

19 of 21

Would Family or Friends Describe You as Addicted to Your Devices?

Studio Analogous

Again, the majority say that their family and close friends wouldn't call them addicted to their devices.

20 of 21

If You Could Go Back to the Pre-Internet Era, Would You?

Studio Analogous

Despite mixed emotions, few women long for the good old days.

Replay gallery

Finding Balance in a Wired World

1 of 21

How Often Do You Check Your Smartphone?

2 of 21

What is Your Primary Means of Communication With Your…

3 of 21

Does Anyone Complain That You're on Your Devices Too Much?

4 of 21

Where Do You Keep Your Smartphone During Dinner?

5 of 21

Where Do You Keep Your Smartphone While Sleeping?

6 of 21

Where is the Most Questionable Place You've Checked Your Smartphone?

7 of 21

Have You Ever Texted While Driving?

8 of 21

Would You Rather Lose Your Smartphone or Get a Bad Haircut?

9 of 21

Would You Rather Go a Month Without Your Smartphone or a Month Without Your BFF?

10 of 21

Would You Rather Go a Month Without Your Smartphone or a Month Without Sex?

11 of 21

Have You Lost Touch With Friends or Family Because They're Not on Social Media?

12 of 21

Have You Ever Taken Yourself off Facebook, Twitter, or Another Social-Media Platform?

13 of 21

Overall, How Has Social Media Affected Your Relationships With Close Friends?

14 of 21

How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Think That You Lose a Week Because You're Staying Up Late to Be Online?

15 of 21

If You Could Use Only One Social-Media Platform, Which Would it Be?

16 of 21

How Has Social Media Changed Your Life?

17 of 21

When Using Social Media, You Feel...

18 of 21

Are You Addicted to Your Digital Devices?

19 of 21

Would Family or Friends Describe You as Addicted to Your Devices?

20 of 21

If You Could Go Back to the Pre-Internet Era, Would You?

Share the gallery

Up Next

Share the gallery