Cell phone has become an important part of human life. Our cell phones are center of our world now a days. No one can imagine a life without cell phone. It has been added to the bare necessity of human life of every age group. It has played a major part in both academic and social life of many individuals.
But the ‘too much’ always haunts us. Too much of use of cell phone has made great changes in our social and personal lives. Children and adolescents are worst affected. Many children are so dependant on cell phones that they have stopped field games. Not only in children, but also in adults too cell phone addiction has become a new epidemic.
In a study conducted by Baylor University, cell phone addiction was linked to:
- Impulsiveness and materialism.
- A preoccupation with material objects as opposed to intellectual, spiritual, or cultural values.
Due to widespread accessibility of cell phones at a younger age now, children and adolescents are especially prone to developing an addiction to their cell phones or social media. Increase in screentime causes several unwanted effects on the growing brain.
The DSM (the classification book for mental disorders) recognizes cell phone addiction as behavioral addiction like compulsive gambling. The excessive cell phone use has given rise to some important and new mental disorders, such as
NOMOPHOBIA: The fear of going without your phone
TEXTAPHRENIA: The fear that you can’t send or receive texts.
PHANTOM VIBRATION: The feeling that your phone is alerting you when it really isn’t.
WHY YOU ARE ADDICTED TO CELL PHONE
We are usually attracted or addicted to something which makes us happy. The reward center of brain is activated. Your brain releases a chemical called dopamine when it feels rewarded.Some phone apps are designed in a way to keep you coming back again and again for positive social reinforcements that can trigger the release of dopamine in your brain. That can explain the addiction.
FEATURES OF CELL PHONE ADDICTION
The symptoms of cell phone addiction are widely variable. We all regularly feel it. The common symptoms are:
- Use your phone the moment you’re alone or bored.
- Wake up multiple times at night to check your phone.
- When can’t get to your phone becomes irritable.
- Use of phone has caused an accident or injury.
- Spending more and more time using your phone.
- Phone use interferes with professional life.
- When you try to limit your use, you relapse quickly.
ARE YOU ADDICTED TO CELL PHONE? TAKE THE TEST
It’s an easy tool to know you are addicted to cell phone or not. Please take the test and asses yourself to know about your addiction.
The scoring gives basic knowledge about your level of addiction.
1-2: Your behavior is normal but that doesn’t mean you should live on your smartphone.
3-4: Your behavior is leaning toward problematic or compulsive use.
5 or above: It is likely that you may have a problematic or compulsive smartphone use pattern.
8 or higher: If your score is higher than 8, you might consider counseling for de-addiction.
Take the test yourself and see what is your level of addiction.
Please read and share
Social Network Site Addiction: A Comprehensive Review. Curr Addict Rep Current Addiction Reports, 2015(2), 175-184. doi:10.1007/s40429-015-0056-9
Greenfield DN. Psychological characteristics of compulsive Internet use: A preliminary analysis. Cyberpsychology & behavior. 1999 Oct;2(5):403-12.