The term nomophobia is the abbreviation of the expression in English “no mobile phone phobia”, or what is the same, the fear of not having a mobile phone. The first study that raised the alarm on this issue was carried out by the British government almost 6 years ago in order to investigate the possible effects of mobile phone users.
In fact, a recent British study revealed that in the UK 66% of the population already suffers from nomophobia or addiction to mobile phones, representing an increase of more than 50% compared to the same study conducted four years ago.
Regarding the age of presentation of this addiction to smartphones, according to the latest surveys, 77% of people between 18 and 24 years old suffer from it, while in the age range of 25 to 34, the incidence of nomophobia it was 68%.
Regarding the distribution by sex, according to the data collected, 61% of men suffer from it, compared to 39% of women. It was also shown that 40% of the respondents preferred to have an additional mobile phone to avoid being cut off.
The continued use of the Internet and social networks means that the need to be permanently connected becomes essential for people suffering from nomophobia. The simple fact of imagining the loss of their smartphone or not having it around makes them feel really bad, with a feeling of being alone, sad and isolated, with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, panic, sweating, rapid heart rate, anger appearing.
All these are symptoms of mobile addiction are recognizable and common to any type of addiction, along with denial of the problem. They would feel the same if they had no coverage or balance. Never being able to turn it off, even in places where its use is prohibited, such as airplanes or certain areas of the hospital, is another symptom of nomophobia.
They should have him close, like a faithful friend, in any circumstance: food, nap, cinema, gym, work… Paying for it is a decision that cannot be conceived. The smartphone is there, period.
One of the consequences of nomophobia is insomnia, since, by not turning off the mobile at night, WhatsApp messages and applications are still answered, whatever the moment, interrupting the natural sleep cycle.
Other notable effects of nomophobia are the lack of self-esteem and personal insecurity, which lead to this pathology and which lead these people to take refuge in their virtual world, thus avoiding facing their problems.
It is a good idea to reinforce the healthy habit of turning off the phone for several hours a day. And also, it is important to turn off the mobile phone to have a specific plan to avoid interruptions.
