Some 36 percent of survey respondents say they view their cell phone as an entertainment device, a rise from 24% a year ago, according to a survey commissioned by Deloitte & Touche. Digital cameras, text messaging and games rank highest in terms of the applications that consumers are most often using on their phones.

The cell phone increasingly is moving center stage as the most important entertainment device, says Phil Asmundson, vice chairman and national managing partner for Deloitte’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications group. The survey responses indicate that advertisers and content providers should be looking beyond the TV and computer when developing forward-looking consumer strategies.

I use my cell phone as an entertainment device.
Source: Deloitte

Millennials, who are 13 to 24 years old, and Xers, who are 25 to 41, are leading the way in terms of watching video content on the Internet or handheld devices.

But a lot of the content or applications, such as social networking and user-generated content, are developed with the Millennials and Xers in mind. If more apps were developed with Boomers, who are 42 to 60, and Matures, who are 61 to 75, in mind – the kinds of things that address health issues, for example -the overall usage of mobile content would increase, he says.

Some products are addressing the older generations, including devices displayed at the CES show this week that allow to better view what’s on the cell phone, he adds.