The bored in Asia watch videos on their phones

(Credit: Initiative)

If you take public transport in Asia, you may notice that there are a lot of people staring at their handsets during your commute. In fact, you may have even done the same thing.

According to the Mobile Experience Study done by marketing agency Initiative, 40 percent of smartphone users in Asia watch videos on the handset to stave off boredom. 34 percent of smartphone users also upload and share videos on their handsets.

Besides just watching videos, Asian users are also ahead of other regions in terms of mobile Web browsing and online shopping. China (66 percent of respondents) and South Korea (63 percent), lead this charge in using their mobile devices for buying products. And to no one's surprise, the top category for online shopping is apps, followed by e-books, music and clothes.

Other interesting tidbits from the study include the fact that social media apps are what most people are hooked to -- about 49 percent of the global respondents said that they check their apps several times a day. 44 percent also play games on their devices.

Smartphone usage is also not restricted to those on-the-go. The study also states that 52 percent of shopping is done on the handset while at home.

So the next time you're taking a bus or riding a train, take a quick peek at someone staring at their smartphone. They're likely watching a video to pass the time faster on that long commute home. That or shopping.