Nomophobia, the definition of which comes from the expression “no-mobile-phone” deserves its name because of the deep anxiety felt by people with this disease when they can’t access the internet, their smartphones, or their tablets.You can’t last more than 10 minutes without checking your notifications or emails and you feel like your phone is ringing even when it is not? Then it is very possible that you have a real smartphone addiction, also known as Nomophobia.
According to studies made by David Greenfield, psychiatrist professor at the University of Connecticut, attachment to a smartphone is very similar to every other addiction because it interferes with the production of dopamine (the hormone of ”happiness”). So every time we see a notification, mail, or hear the phone ringing, the dopamine level is rising because we believe something new and interesting is happening. The problem is that we can’t know in advance what will happen or what the email will be about so the feeling to keep checking occurs. According to a study made by the British Institute of Research YouGov, 6 out of 10 young people between the ages of 18 and 29 go to sleep in the company of their phones, which is another sign that something is not right. The researchers proposed that Nomophobia be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, also known as DSM, published by the American Association of Psychiatry.
”Like any other addiction, the first symptom is denial. Though technology allows us to do our work much more faster and more efficiently, mobile devices can have a dangerous effect upon our health so the phenomenon must be investigated more profoundly and the psychological aspects need to be studied further,” says professor David Greenfield. Bottom line: we must find a way to keep balance between technology and our personal lives so that we can use it to our benefit.
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