Why pay attention to sex when you can text? A number of Americans appear to suffer separation anxiety regarding their smart­phone, so much so that they even bring it into the bedroom.

A survey released Thursday found nearly one in ten smart­phone owners admitted to having used their phone during sex.

Overall, nine percent of those surveyed said they had used their smartphone during sex. Young adults were particularly comfortable with multitasking during intercourse. Among those ages 18 to 34, one in five admitted to using their smartphone amid coitus.

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“So it should be no surprise that 12 percent believe their smartphone gets in the way of their relationships,” the press release for the study noted.

The 2013 Mobile Consumer Habits study conducted by Harris Interactive for the mobile company Jumio also found 12 percent of smartphone owners admitted to using their device in the shower. More than half admitted to texting while driving.

“People view their smart­phones as an exten­sion of them­selves, taking them every­where they go – even the most unorthodox places – from the shower to their com­mute, from the dinner table to the bed­room,” said Marc Barach, chief mar­keting and strategy officer, Jumio. “And panic sets in when con­sumers are sep­a­rated from their devices, with pri­vacy con­cerns top­ping the list. People have good reason to be on high alert; nearly 30 per­cent of adults admit to snooping on someone else’s mobile phone, making users aware of the poten­tial vio­la­tions that happen when we put our own phones down.”

Research into smartphones has uncovered that the many people develop “checking habits” regarding their devices. People compulsively check emails, notifications and social media feeds.

“What concerns us here is that if your habitual response to, say, boredom, is that you pick up the phone to find interesting stimuli, you will be systematically distracted from the more important things happening around you,” researcher Antti Oulasvirta noted in 2011.

[“Man Talking On The Phone, Woman Upset” on Shutterstock]

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