You've heard of the PDA (public display of affection). Now we have the PDT (public display of technology). A recent PEW survey (September 2012) reported that "Nearly half of all American adults (45%), and two-thirds of all young adults now own a smartphone." Their data suggests that 85% of Americans own a cellphone and 55% of adults now go online using their cellphone. That's a lot of room for mobile misuse or PDT.

In my daily interactions on the webosphere, I ran across the results of a survey sponsored by Intel that addressed "Mobile Etiquette". The survey reported that almost all of us (91%) see inappropriate uses of technology frequently. My guess is that the remaining 9% are using the technology inappropriately themselves, don't even realize they're seeing it because everyone is looking at them PDT.

Aside from the inappropriate uses that are becoming socially unacceptable, like:

Texting while driving (or talking while swerving in and out of traffic)
Checking your smartphone while your significant other is speaking to you
Texting at the dinner table or being CONSTANTLY connected (my children's favorite)
Or, talking on the phone loudly in public places

There are other PDT's that are taking, in my mind, misuse of your mobile phone, to a whole new level. For example:

NEVER call me and talk while you are using the bathroom...I can wait even if you can't
Drunk texting (or texting under the influence of cough medicine for those of us that don't drink)...When you do this...it's out there and you can't get it back don't do it and don't embarrass yourself.
The phantom vibration syndrome. This is as Pavlovian as it gets. These are the people that think their phone is ringing, or vibrating, and check their phone in the middle of your conversation. Annoying!
Hidden connectivity. Acting like a middle-school student and hiding your constant checks of your phone...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOVIE THEATER. We can ALL see it and it really bugs.
Bluetooth users that look like they're talking to themselves. I've often gotten on an elevator and thought someone was speaking to me, only to figure out that they have a Bluetooth device in their ear and are ignoring me completely.

People are almost CONSTANTLY connected to their mobile phones. The connectivity to your device likely isn't going to stop anytime soon (and it will likely continue to grow). It's no wonder that market research is continuing to quickly evolve online at the expense of all other methods. Here are some online market research methods that will see growth year on year:

From the online qualitative research world:

Online focus groups
Online bulletin boards
Market research online communities (MROC)
Other forms of online qualitative research like video and audio upload, ethnographies, shop alongs...where the researcher isn't "along" etc.

From the online survey research world:

Can you actually call it traditional online survey research?
Mobile survey research using style sheets
DIY survey platforms
Mobile survey research via apps

These lists can go on and on. I remember the day when people had philosophical research conversations on whether phone surveys were sufficient instead of talking to someone face to face. Online takes this question of scientific reliability and validity to a whole new level. And, much like the transition from face to face to telephone research, the transition from telephone research to online research is happening whether you want it to or not...so find good, high quality ways to execute.

The dichotomy between qualitative and quantitative research is getting smaller. In my opinion, qualitative researchers have historically been slower to adapt to new research methods. The market research industry has hit a point where I believe that qualitative providers are going to have to adapt and adapt quickly to stay relevant long term. When the Greenbook's Research Industry Trends survey asked respondents if they were going to start a research company today what would its focus be, the top mention was Mobile Surveys, followed by Online Research in general, then Online Communities. Online market research allows the researcher to bridge the gap between qualitative and quantitative research techniques. I guess we've been siloed for too long.

The next time that your friend answers her/his mobile phone in the middle of your conversation, replies to a text, or jumps online to look something up, connect the dots on how you as a market research approach your research techniques. If they aren't online...consider it...quickly. And, by the way, anything bug you about mobile phone use that I didn't cover?

This content was provided by Discovery Research Group. Visit their website at www.discoveryresearchgroup.com.

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