PMC study
Nomophobia literally means no mobile phobia - that is, the fear of being out of mobile phone contact. If a person is in an area of no network, has run out of balance or even worse run out of battery, the persons gets anxious, which adversely affects the concentration level of the person. In recent times there seems to have been a transformation of the cell phone from a status symbol to a necessity because of the countless perks that a mobile phone provides like personal diary, email dispatcher, calculator, video game player, camera and music player.
According to the study the sample screened consisted of 53% males and 47% females of which 18.5% were found to be nomophobic. The result of the study shows that this disorder is equally prevalent among the study group irrespective of gender.
A study from United Kingdom on 2163 people revealed that 53% of the subjects tend to be anxious when they lose their mobile phone, run out of battery or credit or have no network coverage. The study found that about 58% of men and 48% of women suffer from the phobia, and an additional 9% feel stressed when their mobile phones are off. About 55% of those surveyed cited keeping in touch with friends or family as the main reason that they got anxious when they could not use their mobile phones. A study conducted by Market Analysis and Consumer Research Organization (MACRO) in Mumbai to study the various patterns and association of mobile phone usage reported that 58% of the respondents could not manage without a mobile phone even for a day.
According to the study the sample screened consisted of 53% males and 47% females of which 18.5% were found to be nomophobic. The result of the study shows that this disorder is equally prevalent among the study group irrespective of gender.
A study from United Kingdom on 2163 people revealed that 53% of the subjects tend to be anxious when they lose their mobile phone, run out of battery or credit or have no network coverage. The study found that about 58% of men and 48% of women suffer from the phobia, and an additional 9% feel stressed when their mobile phones are off. About 55% of those surveyed cited keeping in touch with friends or family as the main reason that they got anxious when they could not use their mobile phones. A study conducted by Market Analysis and Consumer Research Organization (MACRO) in Mumbai to study the various patterns and association of mobile phone usage reported that 58% of the respondents could not manage without a mobile phone even for a day.
Wiley InterScience Study
According to Whiteside and Lynam (2001), Urgency refers to the tendency to feel strong impulses, usually in a context of negative affect (examples of Urgency items of the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale: ‘I have trouble controlling my impulses’; ‘When I feel bad, I will often do things I later regret in order to make myself feel better now’; ‘Sometimes when I feel bad, I can’t seem to stop what I am doing even though it is making me feel worse’).
In the same vein, it may be hypothesized that individuals who have a high level of Urgency will have problems deferring their use of the cellular phone, especially in a condition of negative affect. In other words, high-Urgency people would tend to use their cellular phones more often and
with a greater feeling of dependence, because they feel compelled to provide for their needs as soon as possible. Consequently, this tendency will probably increase the likelihood of illegal (e.g. phoning in restaurants or libraries) or dangerous (e.g. phoning while driving a car or phoning without thinking about the future costs) use of the mobile phone.
The second predictor of cellular phone dependence and use is lack of Perseverance, which was defined by Whiteside and Lynam (2001) as the ability to remain concentrated on a tedious or difficult task (examples of Perseverance items of the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale: ‘Once I get going on something I hate to stop’; ‘I concentrate easily’; ‘I finish what I start’). Bechara and Van der Linden (2005) hypothesised that Perseverance is closely related to resistance to proactive interference, which refers to the ability to resist memory intrusions by information that was previously relevant to the task but has since become irrelevant (Friedman & Miyake, 2004). Thus, low Perseverance may result in more difficulties inhibiting irrelevant thoughts or memories. In the case of mobile phones, it could tentatively be supposed that certain people find that using a mobile phone can help them rid themselves of irrelevant thoughts (e.g. thoughts relating to a recent dispute with a friend, thoughts concerning the consequences of the morning seminar), which may result in more frequent use. This assumption may be supported by the positive relationship between lack of Perseverance and greater actual use of the mobile phone (number and duration of calls).
In the same vein, it may be hypothesized that individuals who have a high level of Urgency will have problems deferring their use of the cellular phone, especially in a condition of negative affect. In other words, high-Urgency people would tend to use their cellular phones more often and
with a greater feeling of dependence, because they feel compelled to provide for their needs as soon as possible. Consequently, this tendency will probably increase the likelihood of illegal (e.g. phoning in restaurants or libraries) or dangerous (e.g. phoning while driving a car or phoning without thinking about the future costs) use of the mobile phone.
The second predictor of cellular phone dependence and use is lack of Perseverance, which was defined by Whiteside and Lynam (2001) as the ability to remain concentrated on a tedious or difficult task (examples of Perseverance items of the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale: ‘Once I get going on something I hate to stop’; ‘I concentrate easily’; ‘I finish what I start’). Bechara and Van der Linden (2005) hypothesised that Perseverance is closely related to resistance to proactive interference, which refers to the ability to resist memory intrusions by information that was previously relevant to the task but has since become irrelevant (Friedman & Miyake, 2004). Thus, low Perseverance may result in more difficulties inhibiting irrelevant thoughts or memories. In the case of mobile phones, it could tentatively be supposed that certain people find that using a mobile phone can help them rid themselves of irrelevant thoughts (e.g. thoughts relating to a recent dispute with a friend, thoughts concerning the consequences of the morning seminar), which may result in more frequent use. This assumption may be supported by the positive relationship between lack of Perseverance and greater actual use of the mobile phone (number and duration of calls).
USA today
"Watching people who get their first smartphone, there's a very quick progression from having a basic phone you don't talk about to people who love their iPhone, name their phone and buy their phones outfits," said Lisa Merlo, director of psychotherapy training at the University of Florida.
The increasing dependence comes as more Americans ditch their iPods, cameras, maps and address books in favor of the myriad capabilities of a smartphone. After all, companies have rolled out thousands of applications that do everything from track your heart rate to guide you through the streets of New York City. While smartphones have made life easier for some, psychologists say the love of them is becoming more like an addiction, creating consequences that range from minor (teenagers who communicate in three-letter acronyms like LOL and BRB) to major (car accidents caused by people who text while driving).
Merlo, a clinical psychologist, said she's observed a number of behaviors among smartphone users that she labels "problematic." Among them, Merlo says some patients pretend to talk on the phone or fiddle with apps to avoid eye contact or other interactions at a bar or a party. Others are so genuinely engrossed in their phones that they ignore the people around them completely.
"The more bells and whistles the phone has," she says, "the more likely they are to get too attached."
Trouble sleeping isn't the only problem smartphones junkies exhibit. Some people are willing to do almost anything to feed their addiction —— including spending more money for the data plans than they can afford. According to J.D. Power and Associates, the average smartphone user spends about $107 each month for wireless access —— more than the average household pays for electricity each month.
The increasing dependence comes as more Americans ditch their iPods, cameras, maps and address books in favor of the myriad capabilities of a smartphone. After all, companies have rolled out thousands of applications that do everything from track your heart rate to guide you through the streets of New York City. While smartphones have made life easier for some, psychologists say the love of them is becoming more like an addiction, creating consequences that range from minor (teenagers who communicate in three-letter acronyms like LOL and BRB) to major (car accidents caused by people who text while driving).
Merlo, a clinical psychologist, said she's observed a number of behaviors among smartphone users that she labels "problematic." Among them, Merlo says some patients pretend to talk on the phone or fiddle with apps to avoid eye contact or other interactions at a bar or a party. Others are so genuinely engrossed in their phones that they ignore the people around them completely.
"The more bells and whistles the phone has," she says, "the more likely they are to get too attached."
Trouble sleeping isn't the only problem smartphones junkies exhibit. Some people are willing to do almost anything to feed their addiction —— including spending more money for the data plans than they can afford. According to J.D. Power and Associates, the average smartphone user spends about $107 each month for wireless access —— more than the average household pays for electricity each month.