Americans would find it harder to part with their mobile phones than the Internet, television or landline telephones, according to a survey released on Wednesday.
The report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project also found that Americans are using their cellphones and other wireless devices for more activities including text messaging, taking pictures or sending email.
Some 51 percent of those surveyed said they would find it hard to give up their cellphones, compared with 45 percent for the Internet, 43 percent for television and 40 percent for landline phones.
"When asked how hard it would be to give up a specific technology, respondents are now most likely to say the cellphone would be most difficult to do without, followed by the Internet, TV, and landline telephone," the report said.
"This represents a sharp reversal in how people viewed these technologies in 2002," when the landline telephone was the favourite technology, he said.
The report said that among the 75 percent of Americans, who own a mobile phone or similar device, most are expanding the way they use it. About 10 percent have watched videos, while 58 percent have sent or received text messages. Nineteen percent have used the devices for email or to access the Internet.
The study appears to confirm that text messaging is important for younger technology users. Sixty percent of those aged 18-30 send or receive text messages on a typical day, compared with 32 percent for those in the 30 to 49 age group and 14 percent in the 50 to 64 age bracket. The survey questioned 2,054 adults between October and December 2007.
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