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Tech

Here Are the Apps People Check First Thing in the Morning

A new study released by Ofcom also reveals how easily Americans part with personal data.
Rachel Pick
New York, US
Image: Ofcom

Ofcom, the UK's regulatory agency of telecommunications, just released a report comparing data from several countries around the world—and the results contain some fascinating insights about media consumption. One data set compares the morning routines of smartphone owners across the sampled countries, showing which applications people groggily check first thing after they wake up.

Image: Ofcom

Unsurprisingly, the majority choice was either email, text messages, or a messaging app like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, but the data showed that Germans, Italians and Spaniards are much more fond of third-party messaging apps than their smartphone's native app for texts.

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Also, Japan stands apart in the percentage of people who reach for games first, with the number (8 percent) about quadruple the number of games-obsessed users in other countries. The Japanese are also the most likely to access news first, at 11 percent of users (Germany is second place in this category at 6 percent).

Image: Ofcom

The data also examined how easily people in different nations part with their personal data. Americans are by far the most content (or perhaps the most resigned) to give companies their personal information. Asked how strongly they agreed or disagreed with the statement "I am happy to provide personal information online to companies as long as I get what I want," 13 percent of Americans said they strongly agreed.

Swedes were most protective of their personal information, but also the least worried about people accessing their data. The study concluded, "While people in Sweden are the least concerned about others accessing their data, they are also the least likely to be happy to provide personal data. This is possibly due to their sharing less information online, and therefore having fewer concerns about its misuse."

The study includes a ton of information about how people across the globe access information, watch TV, and browse the Internet. But the thing that really stuck with me is the 7 percent of people in France who check their voicemails first thing, and the 5 percent of Americans. Who gets that many voicemails overnight? Everyone: stop leaving voicemails. For the love of God.