6 out of 10 students break their phones at university

6 out of 10 students break or damage their phones at university, according to new statistics from student insurance brand Endsleigh.

The study, carried out by NUS Insights Team on behalf of Endsleigh, featured 4,642 students at universities across the country.
57% of students were found to have damaged or broken their phone at least once, 26% were found to have lost their phone, and 17% have had their phones stolen, whilst at university.

52% of students who had broken or damaged their phones had done so outside their home. Of the 17% who have had their phone stolen, three-quarters claimed it had happened just outside their accommodation.

The study appears to show that typical aspects of student life contribute to the surprisingly high statistics amongst university students. 10% of students who had broken their phones, 59% of those who had lost their phones, and 33% of those who have had their phone stolen all claim to have done so on a night out.

Second-year Maths student Nick Green – whose phone was broken after falling out of his back pocket – advised students to avoid keeping their phones in vulnerable places on nights out.

In practice, it doesn’t matter where you are – you need to take precautions to protect yourself from damage and theft.
Sara Newell

Endsleigh’s study was not limited to mobile phones, though.

Students bring an average of £3658 worth of gadgets and other possessions to university with them, and according to the study, one of the biggest concerns amongst students regarding replacing lost or damaged gadgets was the cost.

33% of students cited that anticipating having to spend an estimated £297 replacing their phone was their main worry, with 39% of students with damaged laptops expressing the most concern for paying an estimated £617 to replace it.

Damage to laptops, which affected 37% of those surveyed, provided students with further concerns, such as loss of documents, which was the biggest worry for 38% of students, and identity theft, which worried 11% of students in the survey.

The top five universities where Endsleigh saw the most frequent claims for accidental damage were those in Manchester, Leeds, Loughborough, Nottingham Trent, and Cardiff.

Sara Newell, Manager of Student Markets at Endsleigh, noted that students can no longer “afford to be complacent” about keeping their possessions safe given the increasing amount of expensive gadgets being brought to university.

Even though there are areas of the country in which students appear to be “clumsier,” she stated that: “In practice, it doesn’t matter where you are – you need to take precautions to protect yourself from damage and theft.”