politics
Survey Finds 14% of Americans Judge Others by Phone Backgrounds
A poll of 2,000 Americans shows that 14% form opinions about people based on their phone wallpaper. Younger respondents reported higher rates of this practice than older groups.
Jul 16, 1:00 PM·1m read1 source
New York PostAudio version
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A survey of 2,000 Americans found that 14% say a person's phone background image reveals something about their personality. The same poll showed that 33% of Gen Z respondents and 17% of millennials reported judging others on this basis.
Family photos ranked as the most common wallpaper, selected by 19% of respondents. Nature scenes and personal memories each accounted for 11%. Pet images appeared on 10% of screens, ahead of romantic-partner photos at 7%.
Ten percent of respondents use a manufacturer-supplied default image. Among those who judge phone backgrounds, 12% viewed default images negatively, associating them with a lack of creativity. Thirty-two percent viewed the choice positively, linking it to practicality and minimalism.
Twenty-five percent said a default image signals that the owner sees the device only as a tool, while 22% said the choice carries no meaning.
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