Modern technology continues to revolutionize the field of communication day by day. However, this situation has quite a few negative aspects. Phone addiction (nomophobia) negatively affects individuals' mental health. Being unable to stay in touch with nature and the fear of being alone trigger phone addiction (nomophobia). According to research, 58 percent of smartphone users cannot go without picking up their phone for more than 1 hour. Spending too much time with phones and iPads can lead to numerous physical and mental health problems.
Phone Addiction (Nomophobia); Derived from the abbreviation of the words 'no mobile phobia', Nomophobia can be defined as being left without a phone or being away from communication. When a person cannot access the object they are addicted to, they exhibit withdrawal symptoms and increasingly need more of it; the same symptoms are observed in nomophobia.
What Are the Symptoms of Phone Addiction (Nomophobia)?
Constantly dealing with the phone while being with loved ones or communicating with people in the same house via phone is a symptom of phone addiction (nomophobia).
We can list other symptoms related to phone addiction as follows;
- The person wants their phone to be with them at all times.
- They may worry that their internet connection will drop or constantly check their internet data package.
- The person panics when their phone battery dies.
- They fear that there will be no cellular service in the area they are in.
- The person fears leaving their phone anywhere.
- The person fears that their phone will malfunction.
- When they do not have their phone, certain anxiety symptoms such as headache, increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, and stomach cramps may be observed.
The person also feels the need to constantly check their phone when getting into an elevator. Looking at individuals in whom these and similar symptoms are observed, this condition is defined as the disease of being apart from the phone.
How to Overcome Phone Addiction (Nomophobia)?
Being informed about nomophobia is determined as the first way to get rid of this addiction. If individuals face situations such as spending too much time on the phone, failing to adapt to daily life, reacting excessively when the phone is taken away from them, and therefore failing to maintain proper nutrition, it may be beneficial to seek support from a psychologist, pedagogue, or a psychiatry specialist. We can list the treatment methods for phone addiction (nomophobia) as follows;
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Group or family therapy
- Art therapy
- Recreation therapy
- Reality therapy
Families of addicted individuals should also support them in this regard. Certain tracking notes can be taken to measure the person's phone and tablet usage time. If the addicted person is a child or an adolescent, guidance should be provided to the child, their time spent on the phone should be well-managed, and the child or adolescent should be encouraged to take on a more active role in real life. Parents should decide at what age children should use these technological devices.
Although a phone and an ipad may seem like an entertainment platform, they harbor much more. Each platform is a hidden phenomenon of a way of thinking and a new order. If we do not consciously restrict phone usage, it is only a matter of time before we carry the disorders of the modern age as a part of this phenomenon.
Phone Addiction Test
There are some tests available to determine whether a person is addicted to their phone. If a few of the items listed below apply to you, you may be a phone addict;
- If your eyes are constantly on your mobile phone while you are with your family and friends
- If you spend all or half of your day on the phone
- If you feel lonely when your phone is not with you
- If you feel more peaceful in the virtual environment
- If you check your mobile phone as soon as you wake up
- If you no longer participate in social activities and constantly play with tablets and phones
A person experiencing these and similar problems may be a phone addict. To prevent this condition from progressing further, the person needs to get support from a specialist.
