Mothers of kids aged five and under often lead busy lives and have many demands placed on their time. As a result, it may come as no surprise that an AOL survey of 350 moms found them describing their smartphones as a “lifeline” that they used to keep track of their family schedules, obtain information they need, stay connected with friends, and escape from their daily grind.

What may come as a surprise, however, is that new moms are actually the biggest users of cell phones and spend more time on their smartphones than even millenials do. All this time on the phone may seem necessary for new moms, but it can actually end up increasing stress. An experienced distracted driving accident lawyer in Phoenix knows that if the phone use occurs in the car, it can also significantly increase the risk of auto accidents caused by distracted driving.

New Moms Biggest Users of Cell Phones

According to the Los Angeles Times, the AOL study assessing cell phone use took place over a month long period. A total of 1,000 smartphone users were tracked, including 342 mothers of children aged five and under. These mothers were found to reach for their phones an average of 21 times per day, and spent an average of 37 hours per months using their phones to access webpages and apps.

By comparison, millenials aged 18-32 spent around 31 hours per month on their phones. Older women spent 29.5 hours on the phone on average, and older men used their phones for around 26 hours per month.

For new moms using their phones to stay connected and escape stress, it is important to consider the outcome of another recent study of 500 phone users, which found that the phones could actually increase anxiety. The results of this study were published in the Daily Mail, and involved researchers monitoring 500 students to assess how their daily phone usage reflected their outlook on life.

The researchers found that the phone created constant pressure to keep in touch, and that smartphones resulted in users having more trouble disconnecting from Facebook and other social media sites. As a result, rather than improving social connections, the phones ended up making people feel more isolated. Those who were able to put their phones down and who were able to ignore calls and texts had higher levels of happiness than those who weren’t.

Moms could fall into this trap of feeling pressure to stay connected, especially if they don’t see their friends as much because of a new baby or if grandparents and other relatives are eager to see photos and hear updates of how a new addition to the family is adjusted. Not only that, but researchers also believe that the more a person uses a phone, the more habitual the use becomes and the more difficult it is to avoid becoming distracted by the smartphone when behind the wheel. Distracted driving has become one of the biggest accident risks and has become a major public health threat, and moms who use their phones as they drive are among those who put themselves and other motorists at risk.

If you’ve been injured in an accident, contact the Israel Gerity, PLLC at (888) 900-3667 for a confidential consultation.