Since the release of smartphones, such as Apple and Android, there has been a noticeable spike of people who developed nomophobia. What is nomophobia you ask, well the phrase that is something that researchers have come up with during the current century to describe the fear of not being able to use your mobile device – or any smart device. It was created due to the rise of mobile addiction and with a new study that was released – this addiction is harming our minds more than causing us good.
If you are wondering how you would know if you’re addicted, one great way is to take the test created by a team of researchers. It’s simplistic as all you must is answer a series of question and rank your answer from 1, which mean you completely disagree, to 7, which means you strongly agree. According to one of the researchers that created this study, Caglar Yildirim of State University of New York at Oswego stated that if your score a 20 or below then you are not an addict. A score between 21 and 60 means you are a mild nomophobe, and a score ranging between 61 and 99 means that you are probably the type of person that cannot go long without checking your phone.
Yildirim continues that its good to be aware of this so you can tweak certain habits, so you don’t reach and can get out of the true nomophobia zone. Especially considering how it can interfere with your daily life and interactions. Studies done with patients that have scored 61 or higher are linked to having worse impersonal social interactions along with having higher levels of social anxiety and depression. Having pure nomophobia can also affect your work and study habits seeing as how you cannot go long without constantly interacting with your mobile/smart device. This is alarming seeing that 95% of Americans own some type of mobile/smart device.
What’s the Issue of Being Mobile Device Junkie?
Other than the issues regarding social interactions, mobile devices are not the healthiest items to own and use constantly. For starters, many studies have shown, which is proven by the number of commercials being seen now, that many people who are addicted to their cell phones are most of the ones who are getting into car accidents. Many of these accidents killing nine people a day while injuring 1,000 others.
The increase of being a cell phone junkie behind the wheel has finally begun reaching epidemic proportions as up to nearly half of adult drivers, including drivers as young as 16, have admitted to using their cellphones while they were driving to check social media, messages, or because they were bored.
On the other hand, your smartphone could be affecting your sleeping habits. Many people who report going to sleep with their phone or having them close by while sleeping have reported that they feel groggier and less rested throughout the day.
Conclusion
While cell phones may be a great addition to your everyday life – you have to learn how to use it responsibly as to avoid having one simplistic device control all other aspects of your life. Be safe and responsible and use your device in the safe way it was intended.