Your obsessive smartphone habits just became the Cambridge Dictionary’s word (“Nomophobia”​) of the year

Your obsessive smartphone habits just became the Cambridge Dictionary’s word (“Nomophobia”) of the year

Communication helped us to improve many things in the fast paced world. People are able to communicate with others who are thousand miles away from them. Smartphones often serve as a go-to source for many and the addictive behaviour to smart phones are also increased.

The Cambridge English Dictionary added a new word “nomophobia” (or, no-mobile-phone-phobia). Due to excessive technology or I might be wrong… due to excessive using of smart phones, the distraction level of a normal human being is increased. The more technology the more distraction. Ultimately blaming the technology that it is not allowing us to concentrate. Is it right?

Nomophobia — A phone separation anxiety, first identified in the year 2016, is more ubiquitous than was previously thought, claim researchers studying cognitive responses of smart phone users and non-users. The recent studies reported the increase of smart phone dependence, and caused to increase the smart phone addiction.

“I can’t live without you” a decade ago statement, people used to say this to their loved ones. However, now the phrase doesn’t apply anymore and people tend to tag their lives with their mobile phones. The moment they are separated from their devices, anxiety hits them. Recent research states that people suffering from nomophobia (or, no-mobile-phone-phobia), feel lonely without their mobile phones. They have an unhealthy attachment to it and thus, they isolate themselves from friend circles and real company. People suffering from nomophobia tend to suffer from more anxiety when separated from their phones. This causes drastic fluctuations in the human blood pressure levels.

According to The Economic Times, the smartphone users spend more than 90 minutes a day on online activities while the premium segment takes the usage up to 130 minutes per day.

Over usage of mobile phones affects to the sleep patterns. The blue light emitted from the mobile phone, signals to the human brain to wake up, and it suppresses melatonin, the hormone responsible for dictating the human sleep rhythms. A surprising fact, nomophobic people tend to suffer from skin problems as well. Constant contact with the mobile phone can cause acne, allergies and dark spots.

Human distraction due to over usage of smart phones affecting the relationship with their friends and family. Our new personal development skills says, it is considered as rude if people who are constantly checking their mobile phones during their meetings. This behavior can be detrimental at work as it creates an impression that people are distracted.

According to The Guardian, a study from Hong Kong revealed that people who use their phones to stock, share, and access memories suffer from nomophobia the most. Users perceive smartphones as their “extended selves and get attached to the devices,” said Doctor Kim Ki Jo. “People experience feelings of anxiety and unpleasantness when separated from their phones,” like when a toy is snatched away from a child.

Excessive usage of smart phones may cause psychological illness such as dry eyes, computer vision syndrome, weakness of thumb and wrist, neck pain and rigidity, increased frequency of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, tactile hallucinations, nomophobia, insecurity, delusions, auditory sleep disturbances, insomnia, hallucinations, lower self-confidence, and phone addiction disorders.

In recent years, most of the people (especially school and college students), use smartphones, due to its wide range of applications. While beneficial in numerous ways, smartphones have disadvantages such as reduction in work efficacy, personal attention social nuisance, and psychological addiction.

Smart phones are the most dominant portal of information and communication technology. A mental impairment resulting from modern technology has come to the attention of sociologists, psychologists, and scholars of education on mobile addiction.

The signs of smartphone addiction are constantly checking their phone for no reason, feeling anxious or restless without the phone, waking up in the middle of the night to check the mobile and email updates, delay in professional performance as a result of prolonged phone activities, and distracted with smartphone applications.

People can self-diagnose their smart phone usage patterns using number of times unlock their mobile phones, phone usage summary on social Networking sites (whatsapp, facebook, professional sites, .. certain apps are available).

Simple techniques to overcome from Nomophobia by following some of the below routines.

1. Turn mobile phone off or kept on mute while sleeping.
2. Customize your phone notifications and unsubscribe from the irrelevant groups to reduce the messages. Constant notifications from various apps in smart phone are distracting.
3. Establish phone free zones for yourself and take phone breaks.
4. Spend more time with friends and family rather than smart phone and use smart phone in a limited capacity when with them.
5. Go to old school and prefer to use desk telephones when available than smart phones.

It’s time to change and live healthy lives. Excessive usage of anything in life is bad. Let’s use our smart phones optimally and leverage the benefits of the smart phones in a right way.

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.