Researchers call it "nomophobia." It's the fear of being without your phone. Some have proposed putting it in the DSM, the standard manual used by scores of psychologists to diagnose mental disorders.
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Nomophobia is probably a disorder you haven’t heard about yet, despite how rampant it has become in today’s world. The more smartphones there are, the more Nomophobia there is, because so many have become absolutely dependant on their smartphones and can’t live without them. It’s becoming so much of an issue that some are consulting their shrinks.
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Nomophobia is a recently recognized issue, defined by a disproportionate separation anxiety relating to mobile phones and connectivity to them. Though the phobia is not yet listed in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), it is treatable and most likely making it’s way to the books.
According to The Gazette May 19, the term Nomophobia was coined in a 2008 study in the United Kingdom which surveyed 2,100 people, more than fifty percent of whom were shown to have separation anxiety when it came to their cell phones. Since that time, however, there really haven’t been many studies researching the issue. With this in mind, University of Missouri researchers wanted to find out how smartphone usage influences people in their everyday lives. Their research found that separation anxiety from smartphones can cause significant psychological and physiological effects ranging from daily performance to cognition. Physical issues related to mobile phone addiction could include eyestrain, difficulty focusing, dry eyes, double vision, neck strain and can even have an impact on melatonin levels. It contributes to distracted driving (and car wrecks) and also can get in the way of relationships.
Symptoms of Nomophobia come out of that cell phone addiction and include such actions as frequent phone checking and using the phone non-stop during social functions and places or situations that would be otherwise inappropriate (like the toilet or the shower). It’s something that seems pretty commonplace these days. The Washington Post points out that what we are talking about here could simply be a struggle of finding out how the technology works in our lives, rather than a full on psychological disorder. With 90 percent of American adults owning cell phones and 64 percent owning smart phones, it’s a worthy question to consider, even if some may view the possibility of Nomophobia’s entry into the DSM as laughable.
A Harris Poll which surveyed participants on the one thing they couldn’t live without found that access to the internet and mobile phones ranked higher than television and sex (and 20 percent of Americans between the ages of 18-34 in another survey admitted that they use their phones during sex). Smartphone users who took the poll admitted their adoration and dependence on their devices to the point that interpersonal communications had been disrupted. They also admitted that technology, though improving quality of life, came with some other serious costs.
There is now this 20 item test available to find out how much of a nomophobe one might be. Smartphone owners who experience anxiety when they’ve forgotten their phones at home or when the battery dies, may want to take a look.
Treatment measures can be taken for Nomophobia. According to Morningside Recovery, “individual and group therapy works well for clients who suffer. . . .” Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is also suggested. Aside from something akin to a twelve-step program, it may be a good solution to just take a break from cell phone usage. 75 percent of Americans are admittedly addicted to their cell phones and can’t last an hour without checking them or having them within arms’ reach. With statistics like this, it’s not difficult to see that the issue could be described as an epidemic.
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