Someone told me the other day that their company policy doesn’t allow them to check their personal email accounts such as Yahoo! or Hotmail on their computer at work. Looking at my network of friends and colleagues, who often not only own one but two smartphones, I really wonder what difference it would make to them.

In today’s connected world, we increasingly have the possibility to check our emails on smartphones – according to GfK Roper Reports® Worldwide, our annual global study across 25 countries, 31% of global households already own at least one multifunctional device that is e-mail capable such as Blackberry, i-Phone or HTC.  And most importantly, we can do much more with our phones than just emailing! In a typical day I use my phone to read my emails of course but also to search locations on Google map, browse for products, check my bank account, buy my cinema tickets and organise nights out with friends via Blackberry messenger, standard text messaging or even via the ‘WhatsApp’ application. I also check the news, I like to read tweets and give my opinion on Twitter, I check in on Foursquare and I am curious about what my friends have to say on Facebook and now Google +. The list seems endless!

Like many other consumers and in line with the ‘Instant Everywhere’ trend (the ‘Instant Everywhere’ trend is part of our GfK Roper Consulting TrendKey 3.1 product), I believe that being constantly connected is great, it allows me to be independent, to get things done within minutes and to stay in touch with friends and families at all times. My favourite pass-time at the moment is to scan Twitter for instant and tailored news and I certainly consider my Blackberry to be the one thing that I would never leave the house without.

However, as my friend has recently pointed out to me, this might also be exactly my problem. I’ve come to a point where watching TV, whilst playing ‘Angry Bird’ on my I-pad and tweeting on my Blackberry at the same time is just a routine thing for me to do. But I’m told, probably rightly so, that this is just a step too far. Reality is that technology has started to dictate how I live my life rather than me being in control; in less than two years, mobile technology has completely changed my everyday routine.

The way mobile technology has invaded my life is becoming increasingly obvious to me. I am often distracted; I feel that I am constantly bombarded with too much information which means I often will simply forget about the details. I find it hard to memorise things and to recall places and names (it is all saved in my Blackberry somewhere!). I get nervous if I don’t find a good network connection or if I don’t get replies instantly. I suffer from sleep deprivation because my mind hasn’t had a chance to switch off before going to bed. Generally I feel surrounded by clutter everywhere, but I am too scared to get rid of information because of fear of missing out! And it seems that I am not the only one. The fast development of mobile technology has an impact on how we perceive the world, our world. According to a 2011 Ofcom study, 37% of adults and 60% of teens are ‘highly addicted’ to their smartphones in the UK. And psychologists are increasingly discussing a new syndrome called FOMO – the fear of missing out, brought on by being aware of so many alternatives, by seeing other things that you could be doing, or having, or being. This fear of missing out is often fuelled by social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn as they are platforms for social comparisons and make it more apparent to people what they aren’t doing or achieving.

There is no denying that there are exciting times ahead for technology fans and smartphone users. Some of the latest application such as ‘Plane Finder AR’ and augmented reality apps such as ‘Wikitude’ are simply breath-taking and give us a glimpse of how exciting the future of mobile technology will be. Some of the apps are also very functional and will make our lives much easier and less cluttered, such as the British Airways Check-In app, the Urbanspoon app or the electronic promotion vouchers on Foursquare. These apps have a very promising future as consumers increasingly and actively look to simplify their lives. Any products and services that help them focus on the essential will be increasingly important in a world of massive complexity and choice (this ‘Streamlined’ trend is part of our GfK Roper Consulting TrendKey 3.1 product).

But there is also increasing proof that mobile technology impacts our life much more than we intended to. Mobile technology has infiltrated our lives and has impacted the way we interact with the world around us. It has also brought us more fear of social exclusion as we are constantly looking with envy at others on social media platforms wishing we were them. We tend to multi-task and our work-life balance is increasingly blurred. This often stops us from enjoying what we do right now in the moment. For myself I have decided to consciously reduce my obsession with constant updates, emails, and instant messaging. Almost like fighting an addiction I find it tough but I know I will be worth it. And the evidence is there. Even little things such as freeing up my inbox from clutter have been very mood-lifting and liberalising. But there are other benefits too. By taking just a tiny bit of distance from my phone and tablet, I am finally in a position again to fully enjoy shared experiences of all kinds that I and my friends and family can always treasure. And this has brought me to the conclusion that there is nothing better than the joy of shared and uninterrupted experiences with our loved ones.

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Tags: clutter, connected, Consumer Trends, Gfk Roper Consulting, Gfk Roper Reports® Worldwide, instant, mobile, simplify, Smartphone, Social Media, Social Networking, streamlined, tablet, Technology, Twitter