Within just a few years, mobile phones have transited from a privilege of few to a technology everyone embraces. A study about phone usage across Europe even showed that one-fourth of young Britons say they are "addicted" to their phones, with more text messaging going on in Britain than any other European country.

Conducted by the London School of Economics and mobile retailer Carphone Warehouse, the survey found that Britain was one of the most advanced European countries in terms of using handsets, with hi-tech uses more commonplace in Britain than anywhere else in Europe.

A quarter of UK respondents under 25 said they were addicted to their phones, and 20 percent of those between 25 and 35 said so. However, dependence declined rapidly among people over 35, with only five percent saying they could not live without their mobile. The situation in Germany is quite different, with merely 8 percent of young people saying they were addicted, the Guardian reported.

"We asked people to what extent the mobile phone was their most important possession, to what extent they would feel unwanted if they were not contacted via their mobile for a whole day, and to what extent they feel addicted to their mobile phone," said one of the authors, Carsten Sorenson.

However, although the British are into the mobile, it is still a bit restrained compared with some continental neighbours. The UK actually had the lowest penetration of mobiles among all the countries surveyed, with 1.25 handsets per person on average.

The study also shows that British mobile users are among the most technologically savvy, having bought items using their mobile, watched video on their mobile or sent pictures or video from their phone.

"Mobile phone fever grips the continent of Europe just as it grips Britain, but it does so in a variety of ways," said the former Labour Party advisor and visiting professor at LSE, Philip Gould. "For those who see Europe as a great homogeneous steamroller, ironing out quirks and kinks of national character, this research proves them wrong."