When Tarun a young college going lad wakes up every morning, he attends to some 20 odd beeps of WhatsApp group notifications. He spends the next few minutes scrolling through a bunch of social media feeds even while his mother repetitively pesters him to wake up and get ready for college. But still seeing him engrossed and dawdle in his phone with no sense of time, his mother yells at him “Aag laga dungi iss phone ko!” So it took some 5 yelling’s and one threat from his mother for Tarun to finally get out of the bed and get ready for the day. This is probably a story in every household today. Perhaps most of us can relate to this. But did I mention that phone addiction is real and the dependence on our smartphones is turning us into nomophobics? (a clinical psychological term for phone addiction).
Like Tarun, 80 per cent of us too ignore the taunts and yelling from our parents daily and check our phones within moments of waking up and before hitting the bed and not to forget, we prefer to live in a world of denial. But for how long?
| Age |
Severe Nomophobic (Someone who can barely go for 60 seconds without checking the phone) |
Moderate Nomophobic (Someone often checks for updates while walking or talking to people and feels restless and anxious when disconnected) |
Mild Nomophobic (Someone who gets a little anxious, but isn’t too affected being away from the phone) |
No Nomophobia (Someone who has no issues being away from the phone for any amount of duration) |
| 18-24 | 16.3 | 43.5 | 39.1 | 1 |
| 25-31 | 11.2 | 35.5 | 52.1 | 1.2 |
| 32-38 | 11.4 | 31.4 | 54.3 | 2.9 |
| 39+ | 2.3 | 31.8 | 61.4 | 4.5 |
*the figures are mentioned in per cent
Source: https://ijip.in/
People between the ages of 18-24 are more prone to nomophobia –the irrational fear of being without your mobile phone or being unable to use your phone for some reason. It is time we address the elephant in the room.
Reports also show:
1.The average smartphone user checks his device at least 47 times a day i.e. 17,155 times a year!
2.Approximately 85 per cent of people fidget with their smartphones while talking to others
Such dependence on your device may affect you both physically and psychologically. Whether you keep checking your phone every minute or not, it’s time to get a reality check on the ill-effects and how to snap it.
A survey conducted by SBB College of Physiotherapy found that nearly a quarter of the 1,080 surveyed candidates suffered from it. Researchers suggest resting your thumb and using the phone at eye level, and tucking in your chin in gently. Pulling your shoulder gently upward and downward can relax your shoulder blades and muscles.
Another sensation that’s known all too well, is that built-up pressure in your fingers, a feeling of restlessness, when we spend a lot of time gaming, texting or just scrolling through feeds. We feel the urge to crack our knuckles. These might be signs of text claw, another medical term.
A simplest fix maybe to avoid swipe keyboards, instead use both thumbs. This should reduce the inflammation of muscles. Another tip is using voice messages, or just calling the person you want to talk
It’s not just the neck and hands that’s affected due to phone addiction, the blue light emitting from your phone can damage your eyes, affect your sleep pattern and cause obesity. A survey conducted by a group of opticians, found that nearly 55% of the 2,000 surveyed entrants complained of discomfort in the eyes while viewing the phone at night. Though, mobile manufacturers and app developers are integrating the night mode feature, you can protect your eyes by just try to look away from your phone in every 20 minutes, for 20 seconds and focus on an object that’s 20 feet away or blink to keep your eyes moist
Not just the eyes, phone addiction can also causes chemical imbalance in your brain! It has been seen that medium to heavy smartphone users tend to demonstrate a higher level of GABA, a neurotransmitter in the cortex area (grey matter area) of the brain that’s responsible for attention control. Due to excessive usage of smartphone the advanced level of GABA slows down the neurons that lead to poor attention span which means you’re vulnerable to distractions.
While nomophobia affects you physically, it also hampers your mental peace and sanity.
A common effect that we often overlook is the emotional and mental health problems due to nomophobia. When we spend too much time on our phones, we neglect and isolate ourselves from our family and friends. That’s not all, a study conducted by Northwestern University concluded that the more time a person spends on the phone, the more likely is he or she to feel depressed and suffer from anxiety. Therefore, when we forget our phones or misplace it we tend to experience anxiety and restless till it’s found. On the other hand, constantly checking on the updates on newsfeed and comparing our lives with that we see on our social media newsfeeds can lead to depression. It’s also been seen that phone addiction can trigger aggressive behavior in people. Even the thought of the phone vibrating or ringing when it actually isn’t, is also an ill-effect of phone addiction. Medically it’s termed as – phantom vibration syndrome.
Fear of Missing Out (F.O.M.O) is a type of social anxiety that arises from the fear that you are missing out on some interest event that maybe happening somewhere which you might like to see or be part of. It could be a social occasion, group communication etc. Oddly, the more connected we are with people especially on social media forums, the more likely we may be to experience F.O.M.O. That’s because these platforms create a sense of curiosity in us to keep a tab on knowing what our friends are upto and believe that they are having a good time.
So, if you too like Tarun look for your phone before rubbing your eyes in the morning or lose track of time while watching video or chatting or incessantly fidget around with your phone to ‘see’ any new notifications when bored or socializing with friends you are experiencing nomophobia. To get rid of phone addiction, here are some recommended steps to help you.
| Tips to get rid of Nomophobia |
| Don’t check your phone before and after bed: If possible distance yourself from your phone and never bring it to your bedroom many studies show that sleeping with your phone besides you or under the pillow will disturb your sleep Use an alarm clock instead of using your phone as a clock.But if you must do then, keep your phone away from your bed for instances; on a dock. Also mornings are great to focus so the first 60 minutes of the day don’t spend time replying to message like Tarun. Instead, use it for other useful and constructive activities such as, planning the day or meditation.This habit will keep you disciplined and help you plan your day productively. |
| Customize Notifications: On receiving notification you will definitely check your phone, but if you don’t want the apps to notify on updates while doing some important work you can do so by setting custom notifications. For instance; if you too are a part of many WhatsApp groups like Tarun, you can just customize the notification for each group by enabling the mute mode.That way you won’t be disturbed with constant beeps and you can check them as and when you can. This way you can stay focused on your task. |
| Schedule a Time: The temptation to check and immediately reply to the messages and emails is just too powerful.However, if you serious about being productive and want to focus on your work,you should restrict yourself from replying to every message or email instantly. It’s recommended to schedule a time to reply for instance; maybe while on coffee break at work or in breaks at college. |
| Create a no phone zone: If you intend to spend quality time with your family it’s advisable to create a phone –free zone.For example, you can turn off your phone, turn it to silent mode while having dinner, socializing, gymming etc. or disconnect it from the internet after 8 pm.By creating an unplugged zone for yourself you will limit your phone usage. Disconnecting from internet will curb F.O.M.O and keep your urge to check on updates in control. Creating a no phone zone will help you focus on connecting and building relations with real people around you. |
| Use your smartphone as a means of Communication only: If you want to break the habit of cell phone addiction, stop using your cell phone to play games or watch videos on YouTube. Instead, it’s advisable to stick to the traditional way of entertainment a.k.a TV or use your PC or laptop to play games. This will not only cut down your usage of smartphone but also let you have a fun-filled entertainment time with your family as well. |
| The 21 Days Challenge: The author of Psycho-Cybernetics, Dr. Maxwell Maltz suggests, that, to acquire a new habit, a person must adopt the new habit for at least 21 days continuously for the mind and body to adjust to the new situation. |
While smartphone has made it easier for us to stay connected, excessive usage can hamper your well-being. Though, at first you may find it difficult to stop all of it but, keeping trying. The key is to be consistent in adapting to the new habit and slowly subside the phone addiction. You might get tempted to check on your phone often but remember, the only way to curb phone addiction is to use technology reasonably and not to become a slave of it. If you’re unable to make any progress in breaking your phone addiction don’t hesitate to ask for professional help.
