Data Consumption: What You Really Pay For [Infographic]

Today we are using more data than ever before. Our mobile devices are like high performance data funnels that constantly send and receive to whatever server we are connected to. What we used to call the digital highway has to be renamed something else entirely because a highway is just not complex enough to compare with this data flow. More and more people are using their mobile devices rather than their stationary computers since it gives them a lot more freedom. As you can imagine, once we make that transition, our data consumption many times skyrockets to a level we never thought we would reach. How much data are we actually using today and what is it used for?

It’s kind of easy to get a handle on it if you have the right information to delve into. I guess all we need is a simplified visual representation of the data load we are using to help us understand what our data is really used for. That visual representation could very well be this infographic called What’s Eating Up Your Data Plan? which is based on research from Xigo. With the help of NowSourcing, they have managed to visually present what is going on under the hood of the average mobile user’s device.

This infographic states that approximately 80% of our data consumption in 2012 is consumed by apps. On average, that is 41 of them in 2012. It’s a staggering claim that when you think about is pretty nuts. As the dust settles, you quickly realize that our data consumption could very well be more than that. People check out new apps continuously and when they have found one, whether it is a photo app or a Facebook app, people often times get addicted to it, and as a result they consume an incredible amount of data.

There are some relatively easy ways to lower your data consumption. Some ways are available at the bottom of the infographic and are some really efficient methods to say the least. Carriers are making a LOT of money off people who just don’t know their phones are still sending data even when they click the sleep button. If you don’t turn off push notifications and app updates for example, these things will continuously look for updates and thus drain your data consumption pool and make you pay money for data you didn’t know you used. So do yourself a huge favor and turn off everything you don’t need. It will save you a lot of money in the long run. That’s money that could definitely go towards your next mobile device purchase.