Did you know that around 66% of the population suffer from Nomophobia, which is nothing but No Mobile Phone Phobia? The term was coined in 2009 in the UK. It is a psychological condition where one has a fear or anxiety of losing mobile phone connectivity.
This has become a rising concern among young adults.
According to a recent research sponsored by SecurEnvoy, an internet security firm, more people feel anxious and tense when they are out of reach of their phone – and the younger they are, the more likely the stress. According to the studies conducted by psychologists, some people even get panic attacks when they are not with their phones.
If you ask most people, the things that they cannot live without, their mobile phone is sure to top the list. You hardly see anyone without mobile phones these days. Right from schoolchildren to elderly people, everyone is a proud owner of a Mobile phone. Even kids under 1 year are exposed to mobile phones and do not have their meals without looking into mobile phones.
The use of mobile phones has been growing exponentially in recent years, especially after the emergence of Smartphones. They have become our companions for work, social, leisure and even family life. It has become our digital security blanket. Mobile has become a necessity due to countless benefits it offers like personal diary, email dispatcher, calculator, video game player, camera and music player. The popularity of social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter has majorly contributed to the mobile phone usage.
If we stop to think about what we look at most during the day, the answer would probably not be our family or friends, nor television or books. It would definitely be the mobile phone. That small device that forms a large part of our lives with work e-mails, instant messages, social networks or videos on demand, reels among others. However, one must realise that excessive use of mobile can lead to problems of dependence, addiction and fear.
Mobile phones are thought to keep us in touch with others, but the problem arises when online relationships replace face-to-face ones. There are also physical consequences such as headaches, stomach aches, eye discomfort due to overexposure to the screen, or wrist and neck pain due to improper positioning.
Major drivers of nomophobia include boredom, loneliness, and insecurity, while some young nomophobes cannot bear solitude.
Dr. Sanjay Dixit, one of the researchers and the Head of the Indian Journal of Community Medicine said that people who use mobile phones for more than three hours a day have a higher chance of getting nomophobia and it can pose potential dangers. According to Dixit, up to 25% nomophobes reported accidents while messaging or talking on the phone, which includes minor road accidents, falling while going upstairs or downstairs and stumbling while walking. More than 20% also reported pain in the thumbs due to excessive texting.
Here are some of the signs that you may be addicted to your phone:
You constantly keep checking your phone for no reason
Any new notification from your phone tends to excite you and you need to check it immediately
You feel super anxious or uneasy if your phone is away from you or missing
You avoid social interaction to spend time with your phone
Waking up in the middle of the night to check on your phone
Your work performance or academic grades have deteriorated
Tips to overcome Nomophobia
Recognize and accept that you have an addiction
Restrict the phone usage atleast for couple of hours in a day
Try to leave your home without your phone – probably go for a walk or run
Keep the phone away during your meal time
Mute the notifications
Practice zen mode for atleast an hour everyday
Avoid looking at the phone when you are spending time with your friends or family
Read books or engage in some form of soothing activities like meditation or Yoga
Mobile phones are a boon and have benefited us in so many ways but over use of anything can cause problems. Only we can control our own addiction and with some conscious efforts, we can all do it. Let us create our own commitment to the healthy use of technology including mobile phones and not fall prey to Nomophobia.