It seems that more and more people are abandoning their phones and adopting social media as their preferred method of staying in touch with loved ones, according to a survey conducted by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts.

The survey indicated that a massive 80% of respondents said they accessed social media web sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube throughout the day. 60% say they now use social media to contact family and friends who are travelling.

The phenomenon of social media appears to be an integral part of some people's lives with four out of ten respondents saying they can't live without it, and one in three logging on to these sites multiple times an hour.

Somewhat alarmingly, social media ranked up their with air and water as a "must-have" in their lives.

And social media isn't just restricted to people's personal lives.

The survey showed that mores than half of those surveyed check out their new contact’s social networking profiles, nearly 60% have not hired a candidate based on a negative impression from a social-media profile, and more than half say they know someone who has been fired for something said or posted online. 

But the old adage of not believing everything you read is even more pertinent online. Nearly 70% of respondents say they aren’t honest on social networking sites with women more inclined to tell little white lies.

In what is an opportunity for the tourism industry, 64% said they use social media to make their travel plans, and within the 25-34 year old participant group, the number is even higher at 76%

The global study 4,204 people via phone in the U.S., U.K. and China.