The increase in the purchase of Smartphones is helping people make more use of the mobile Internet, research shows.

The change in our society’s priorities and the evolving need for people to be able to connect to others at a moments notice is evident in the increase of Smartphone purchases we have seen over the past five years.

Researcher Melissa Moore, along with a group of two other researchers, conducted a study to determine the different ways in which people use their mobile phones. Moore specifically answered the question whether or not upgrading mobile phones increases a person’s consumption of the Internet (on their phone) and mobile news. She found that an overwhelming number of people have felt more obligated to use the Internet after upgrading their phones, more often a Smartphone.

In addition she found that the majority of people who upgraded their cell phones to Smartphones cited the Internet as the main reason to do so. 65% of the respondents used in Moore’s survey stated that they were more inclined to use the internet once they received an upgrade on their phone and more than 3/4 of the respondents said that being able to check email constantly and “staying connected” as reasons why they chose to upgrade their phones (some earlier than their mobile device plans allowed).

Looking at and receiving mobile news, although not as massively supportive as using the Internet, showed considerable strides in terms of its increase in use after a phone upgrade. Moore found that 44 % of the respondents in the study said they received mobile news often or very often.

Moore’s research, coupled with the work of the other researchers about operating systems and the connection between majors/career paths and using mobile phone apps, creates an interpretative analysis of not only the direction of what type of phones people are buying but also what they technology that Smartphones provide are being used for.

Moore stated that previous research already confirms the findings about an increase in Smartphone purchases but was a great guide to form her research topic and the questions that she used to answer them. She hopes that her research can be used in the future to spawn further research about mobile use behaviors as technology continues to evolve and become an intricate and essential part of our life.