The Majority of American Travelers Stay Plugged in on Vacation

Eighty-five percent of American travelers use a smartphone on vacation, according to a new survey conducted by TripAdvisor. But the high percentage is more indicative of how we travel today than a symptom of overworking.

The majority, or 61 percent, of American travelers are using their mobile devices to access and share social media.

What’s driving the social media obsession? It’s a fear of missing out on what’s going on at home and the opportunity to make others jealous of vacation time.

Of those travelers who reported using social media on vacation, 46 percent said it was a fear of missing out on friends’ personal news and 19 percent said it was “because it wouldn’t be a holiday if their friends didn’t know they were on it.”

However, connected travelers are also using the devices to help them plan activities and look up information on the go. Thirty-six percent use their devices to find restaurants, 27 percent look for things to do, and 22 percent look for hotels.