50 percent people check phones first thing in the morning

Fifty-three percent people in the UK check their phones in the morning even before uttering the words 'good morning' to their partners or even taking a shower, according to a new survey.

In a study by a UK mobile network, more than half or 53 percent Britons admitted their smartphone is the first thing they look at in the morning, with over 26 percent confessing to sleeping with it in bed, the Daily Mail reported.

Scots were two times more addicted to their smartphones than Britons and nearly 19 percent of them admitted to sleeping with their smartphones.

In Belfast, 43 percent admitting that checking social media sites, headline news and missed calls takes precedence over speaking to their beloved, showering or even making a cup of tea in the morning.

Across the UK, almost 23 percent were happy to have replaced their address book, while 22 percent were pleased they no longer have to wear a wrist watch, the study by network Three found.