Heard Of 'Nomophobia'? Know What It Is & How It Is More Prevalent Than You Would Have Thought

While the world keeps moving at its own pace, one thing has become a constant in almost every individual's life - a smartphone or a mobile phone. A mobile phone has not only become a necessity in today's world, it probably has become a matter of identity for everyone.

From social media accounts to pictures to even one's deepest darkest secrets, everything is included in a tiny little gadget. Not just that, a mobile phone has become one of the most popular means for a person to entertain themselves and access information.

The use of cellphones has increased so much that it has been learnt that an average individual checks their phone 110 times per day¡ªoftentimes without even realizing it. While smartphones are obviously useful, the absence of those is also leaving a very harsh effect.

Unsplash

What is nomophobia?

Smriti Pathak, PhD and MPhil in Clinical Psychology (RCI) has defined what nomophobia is. "When people develop a fear of becoming disconnected from their mobile phone connectivity, it is known as nomophobia or No Mobile Phone Phobia. The term nomophobia has been defined as a "phobia for particular/specific items" based on the DSM-IV categories.

Nomophobia has been derived very recently since tech gadgets are fairly new. People who experience nomophobia may feel anxious, panicked, or irritable when they are without their phone or when they cannot use it. They may also have a strong urge to check their phone frequently, even if there are no notifications or messages.

Unsplash

Pathak talked more about this phobia by stating a recent study "(Prasad et al.2023) aims to look at the relationships between boredom, loneliness, and monophobia. A total of 80 youth aged between 18-24 years, having proper access to an email account, and smartphone, and not having any known chronic psychological disorder, were selected from West Bengal (India). This survey indicated a positive correlation between nomophobia and boredom.

The risk of problematic behaviours, such as problematic internet use (Nichols & Nicki, 2004; Skues et al., 2016) and problematic mobile phone use, is further increased in bored adolescents because they are more likely to seek external stimulation to deal with boredom (Struk et al., 2017). As a result, they may spend a lot of time and resources online or on mobile devices (Ksinan et al.,2021).

According to the findings of a different study, average everyday smartphone usage patterns may indicate a propensity for boredom. As a result, using a phone while bored can automatically indicate boredom propensity (Pielot et al., 2015). A previous work (Pathak et al.2015) also observed a significant association between nomophobia and personality traits such as neuroticism and extraversion.

Unsplash

What are the causes of nomophobia?

An exact cause has not been found but as per a 2016 article titled "Classifying Nomophobia as Smart-Phone Addiction Disorder" by Tran, Dewey suggested that this phobia has developed due to the instant communication and instant gratification that smartphones provide. This is the reason for the addictive and compulsive behaviour.

As per a research titled "Nomophobia and lifestyle: Smartphone use and its relationship to psychopathologies" it was denoted that this phobia may be caused due to social discomfort, feelings of inferiority or even obsessive and compulsive thoughts related to ones smartphones. It can also be related to the number of hours spent on the smartphone which can ultimately lead to an addiction.

What are the symptoms of nomophobia?

As stated above, nomophobia has a severe impact on one's mental health. It definitely impacts a person's way of functioning in their daily life. It is not really a clinical diagnosis but it is a response to the high usage of smartphones. The symptoms can depend from person to person. These are a few symptoms:

Anxiety or panic when the phone is not within reach

The phone here needs to be in sight all the time. If let's say the phone is unreachable or if one has to stay without the phone due to any reason including it being damaged or a place that does not allow the phone, the individual may feel anxious or in extreme cases can get a panic attack.

A constant fear of missing out

The person needs to know at all times if they are not missing out on any notifications, messages or calls.

Not able to concentrate on tasks

The addiction can be so much that a person can not go on with their tasks or day without checking their phones. This can also delay their work or can not let them concentrate on their tasks.

Representational Image/Flickr

Using phones to avoid socialising

We all have used our phones to escape a boring party. But when the phone is getting all the attention while you are with people always, then this can be a problem.

How to get over this phobia?

There are several small but useful ways that psychologist Pathak has suggested which can help one fix this phobia. Here are some useful tips:

Setting boundaries for maladaptive usage of mobile phone

Here, an individual can set a time limit for when they can or can not use the phone. Setting a boundary can help a person restrict the usage because they subconsciously have made a task for themselves.

Change the notification setting and keep the phone away at night

There are several different settings in smartphones nowadays that help with the less usage of it. One can try bedtime modes that allow less notification till a specific period of time. They can also keep the phone away from them while sleeping.

Pexels

Try a day without the phone once every week

While phones nowadays are used for work and other purposes, one can try to keep away from the phone on a weekend at least. This can help them get a detox and even help them try different other activities. They can also increase the process

Spend time in physical activity, with nature

This is a must. If one is going for physical activities, using a phone during those times definitely becomes difficult. Trying out gymming or yoga or any other activity can help you keep away from the phone. Other than that, going for walks and enjoying nature can also be helpful.

Unsplash

Pathak further adds, "Nurture the communication with your loved ones this will help you to overcome the loneliness or board which we actually try to compensate with excessive use of a phone."

This is easily treatable. If you think you have this problem, there is an easy way out.