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Nomophobia, or the fear of being without your mobile phone, is a new phenomenon that has arisen in the 21st century. In not just the American culture, but also the global culture, mobile phone addiction has become a pervasive trend in recent years. Nomophobia could be potentially devastating to the mental health of an exponentially growing cellphone consumer base, so psychologists and researchers have committed to try and understand how the condition should be classified and treated. I want to bring awareness to the issue by exploring how it is defined in the medical community, how prevalent the addiction is in society, and how experts are dealing with the condition.
YouGov, a UK-based research organization, coined the term “no-mobile-phone phobia” during a 2008 study where it found that out of a sample of 2,163 British people, “58% of men and 47% of women suffer from the phobia, and an addition 9% feel stressed when their mobile phones are off.” In the academic journal Psychology Research and Behavior Management, two prevalent psychologists Nicola Bragazzi and Giovanni Del Puente define nomophobia as “a disorder of the contemporary digital and virtual society and refers to discomfort, anxiety, nervousness or anguish caused by being out of contact with a mobile phone or computer.” In their research, Bragazzi and Del Puente include symptoms and signs of the condition including: anxiety, trembling, disorientation, loneliness, and tachycardia.
These psychologists proposed a case to add nomophobia to the DSM-V, the annex of all psychological conditions, as a specific phobia. The symptoms that should categorize this new specific phobia would be spending considerable amounts of time on mobile devices, feeling anxious at the thought of losing your phone, looking at one’s phone screen in a pattern known as “ringxiety” and many other clinical characteristics. The study also provides insight into treatment options for the new concept. Cognitive behavior therapy is the one of the most commonly used forms of treatment but the “Reality Approach” and neuropsychopharmacology are other forms of clinical care. Cognitive behavior therapy helps the sufferer to reinforce autonomous behaviors independent from technological influences. Bragazzi and Del Puente recommend therapy through “controlled mobile deprivation.” The “Reality Approach” encourages the patient to focus behavior away from their mobile phones. They suggest techniques such as motivational interviewing and diary keeping. The neuropsychopharmacology techniques include medicine like benzodiazepines and antidepressants; however, these medications weren’t designed for nomophobia alone. Therefore, any underlying conditions should be identified and investigated so psychological ailments can be better treated.
Aaron Smith, a researcher from the Pew Research Center on Internet and Technology, gave some interesting statistics regarding the prevalence of cell phone addiction in society. 44% of cell owners have slept with their phone next to their bed because they were worried about missing calls, texts, and emails while sleeping. Also shocking, 67% of cell owners say that they find themselves regularly checking their phones for new notifications -- even if they don’t notice a ring or vibration. This behavior is largely exhibited in adults aged 18-34. The author points out that despite all the constant phone checking, 39% of cell owners say that people they know have complained that they aren’t responding fast enough to their messages or phone calls. This behavior is particularly prevalent in that same young adult age range. This age group has also been surveyed to say that 21% of them worry that they are spending too much time on their phones. 29% of all cell owners – and 36% of smartphone owners -- “couldn’t imagine living without their cell phone.” These statistics attest to the nature of cell addiction in our culture and show how prevalent these devices are becoming in daily life, especially in younger generations.
One of the most cited studies on nomophobia comes from Computers in Human Behavior, a scientific journal for the field of psychology. In the piece, psychologist A.L. S. King and associates were working to study nomophobia as a manifest behavior that might serve as an indication of a possible anxiety disorder. This conflicts with the study that Bragazzi and Del Puente put out in which they believe nomophobia should be considered a specific phobia. King uses his study to demonstrate various treatment methods for the condition. These methods include the use of medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and the use of evaluation tools (interviews, questionnaires, etc.). Among the psychological journals researched thus far, the majority of scholars on the topic have mostly come to the same conclusion on how nomophobia should be treated. With further studying, more treatment forms may arise, but for now, the general consensus of the scientific community agrees that these are the best techniques at fighting this new age problem.
In the New York Times, an article titled Is the Answer to Phone Addiction a Worse Phone? outlines a specific “treatment” for phone addiction that the general public can use to mitigate the effects. The theory the author Nellie Bowles suggests is to turn your phone from bright colors to grayscale. According to the article, many of the Silicon Valley technology companies have been analyzing neuroscientific ways to engage the brain through color. This is making consumers engage more on certain applications because of their bright colors. The article cites an investigator from the National Eye Institute, Bevil Conway. Conway states that one way Silicon Valley could help curb the phone addiction problem is by implementing “a more thoughtful color palette.” The author of the article tested this theory herself and has advocated that it makes her feel much more in control of how she uses her phone and what applications she’s spending her time on.
It is vastly important to understand how changing technology will impact our future. With such readily available technology being used by nearly every person in the world, it is crucial to study the condition through its signs and symptoms, its prevalence in our communities, and its treatment options. By becoming more aware of the problem, people globally can help curb nomophobia’s effects on our society and determine the best course of action for the future of mobile device usage.
Eli Graft of Hebron, Ky., is a member of the McConnell Scholar Class of 2021. He studies business and political science at the University of Louisville.
Eli Graft of Hebron, Ky., is a member of the McConnell Scholar Class of 2021. He studies business and political science at the University of Louisville.