Nomophobia , known as the short spelling of the English no mobile phobia, is the fear of being away from the cell phone. Nomophobia, which is spreading rapidly, especially among young people, is considered a disease of the age. This disease of the age is also known as a type of addiction defined by the fear of being deprived of the phone or worrying about the limitation of phone and internet access. Due to this fear, the individual may experience anxiety, distress, nervous mood and anger.
Astechnology develops, the way of life changes. Especially for children and young people, technological devices become a 'need'. However, this can lead to negative consequences, such as technology addiction . Various fears can be experienced. One of these is known as 'nomophobia'. Nomophobia , derived from 'no mobile phobia', means experiencing intense fear as a result of the breakdown of communication with the cell phone . This is one of the new phobias of the popular times and is becoming widespread, especially as a result of the increasing use of smartphones. The desire to obtain it causes smartphones to gain more importance. Therefore, individuals who are worried about being without a phone and who cannot communicate with the phone may experience mental tension. Although there is still not enough information about the personalities of those who have this phobia, this syndrome is more common in young people who are called the thumb generation by experts.
What are the Symptoms of Nomophobia?
Addiction lies behind the fear of losing contact with the cell phone. Cell phone and social media addiction progresses in the same way as other addictions. Just as a person experiences withdrawal symptoms when they cannot reach the object they are addicted to and want more, the same conditions are observed in nomophobia. Underlying this anxiety, which is popularly characterized as the phobia of time, is the fear of being alone, feelings of isolation and fear. Other symptoms of nomophobia can be listed as follows;
- Feeling "incomplete" when the individual does not have his/her phone with him/her, feeling a sense of emptiness
- Obsessive desire to check the phone, even when it is next to you
- Feeling intensely helpless when the battery runs out
- Forgetting your phone anywhere, fear of phone breakdown, i.e. the fear of not being able to use your phone again
- Experiencing various anxiety symptoms such as dizziness, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, stomach cramps, etc. when the phone is not at hand
The Social Media Link to Nomophobia
Technological devices and virtual connections are a form of communication and beyond that a form of interaction. This addiction is triggered by the use of phones as a tool to follow social media, to keep up with developments quickly, to follow other people and to try to be visible. Those who think "I am visible, therefore I exist" on social media say "I am reaching/being reached, therefore I exist" when it comes to the phone. Being able to easily access social networks with the phone is an important source that feeds this phobia.
How is Nomophobia Treated?
Nomophobia creates excessive effort in the human brain. These types of addiction disrupt the reward-punishment system in the brain. There is an increase in nomophobic events. Especially in adolescents, there may be tendencies such as not going to school in order to spend more time in smart devices and virtual environment. The first step is to recognize this as a problem and make an effort to correct it. Therefore, this condition should be treated as soon as it is recognized. If the person cannot get rid of this situation by applying technology detox , they should definitely seek support from mental health experts. Nomophobia treatment has 2 stages. The first stage is a 2-3 week drug treatment. The main goal here is to correct the brain chemistry. The person is hospitalized and medication is started under expert control. Along with this, the person is deprived of smart devices and virtual environment and the treatment continues. Afterwards, the perception of risky and bad use is created with personal and group therapy.