How many times have you left home and felt insecure because you forgot your mobile phone? This is called nomophobia, and it’s just a social habit that has been created in recent years and that has affected most people without realizing it.
As we well know, technology makes no sense if it does not improve our lives, that is why this device has become essential for us. Reason why for many it is essential for both work and personal relationships. But, it has reached the point of becoming an addiction that generates some disorders.
Without a doubt, this from its beginnings has occupied all our time, and even managed to get away from the real world. Therefore, to learn more about this phenomenon and to know how it affects children, youth and adults, we have prepared this article. Would you consider yourself a nomophobe? Find out below.
Index:
What is nomophobia and what are the causes of this fear or addiction?
The term nomophobia comes from the expression “no mobile”, and refers to the anxiety states that may occur when not having the mobile, either because we forget it somewhere, due to lack of battery, balance or similar situations.
Unlike what many believe, this is not considered a phobia as such, as this word is allusive to an irrational fear of certain situations; and nomophobia is not about this, so you can not talk about a pathology or disorder, if not a bad social practice.
Being connected 24 hours a day can generate one of the main causes, dependence. This in turn is reflected in a problem of self-esteem, social integration and personal insecurity.
Among others we can highlight:
- Stress: By not having it, we present a sense of tension; This can also happen when we do not have an Internet connection or when there is no signal. All this is linked to what we will mention now.
- Anxiety: This state of anticipation invades us and makes us think about the moment we are connected again, and the impossibility It turns out not to be on social networks. In addition, it leads us to constantly think Who has written to me? Who will be calling me? So this in turn leads us into an obsessive world due to the extreme dependence of the mobile.
- Restlessness: Many people present this state when the pocket feels strangely light because of the Missing this device. This leads to in turn presenting emotions such as anger, anxiety, anguish, etc.
- Addendum: The use of this also generates an addiction to be constantly aware of the messages, of emails, network updates, if it sounds, games, etc.
Nomophobes How to identify if a friend or I have this phobia ? Symptoms
A nomophobe is easily recognized with the naked eye because it is continuously connected to your mobile, to the point of entering so much that you leave the other facet of your life, the real world. This often leads to compromising important aspects such as work, family, couple relationships, and all those environments that require attention.
As mentioned earlier, this generates a state of addiction that results in the most common symptoms, where we can highlight:
- Tachycardia.
- Headache.
- Stomach ache.
- Obsessive thoughts.
- Insomnia.
A person of this type is recognized because:
- Look at every moment your mobile, so you have not received any alert that makes you see it.
- Take hours of your dream to see social networks.
- You do not want go to any place where there is no signal.
- Do not turn off your phone under any circumstances.
- You have less concentration at work.
- Loses track of time or the environment when using the mobile.
- The first thing you do when you arrive somewhere is to ask if there is a wireless connection.
- You are waiting to locate a plug in case the battery is discharged .
If in addition to this, you wonder who are the most prone to this dependence? We tell you that according to different studies that have been carried out, women and adolescents are what are most likely to feel these symptoms, because of this disturbing need to be attached to this device.
And although it is true, this habit is linked to the development of smartphones, which are increasingly computerized and allow the user to carry the computer in his pocket.
Treatment for nomophobia How to overcome this addiction to mobile phone?
What is advisable in these cases is to see a specialist who is able to help you overcome this. However, here we will give you some information that you should put into practice so that you can help yourself out of this world. Don’t be a slave to your mobile phone!
The first thing to do is recognize and be aware that this problem arises, hence the desire to change your attitude. If it’s not serious yet, you can take quick actions like the ones we’ll mention.
Search for moments of total disconnection
One of the easiest ways you can start is to find moments where you don’t have any connection with it. Although it seems difficult, you can establish a schedule where little by little, you can spend the least time using it. You can leave it aside at the time of meals, when sharing with a friend, when walking, among others. This way you will get used to your brain to such a fact.
Use limitations on the information you receive
Are you very aware of the blue WhatsApp check, for example? Eliminate the option of reading your messaging and silence the fact of receiving notifications, since having it active makes you spend the whole day checking if they have read your message, if you get any network updates, etc.
To help you in this, platforms like Instagram have implemented certain systems that allow the user to verify how much time they have spent on the network. With this, they have set a kind of alarm that reminds them of the moment in which they have reached the established time limit.
Set differences
You must set boundaries between real and virtual life. Take into account that your digital life is very different from your daily life. So when you work or study, disconnect from it and do not have it nearby. If you want to use it in your spare time, set an alarm to know when you have to leave it.
Connect with nature 
Connecting with the environment and with yourself is important for you to turn away from everything, so you take a quiet time away from the connection. Exercise with some outdoor sport, do yoga, meditation, and other exercises that help the brain rest and take concentration and attention. Try to do all this with the computer turned off, so you don’t share photos or states.
Are the nomophobes also afraid of running out of data while they are out from home?
For a nomophobe, imagining the fact of running out of data connection causes him an excessive and irrational fear, where anxiety takes hold of them. First because they think about how boring they will be, and second because of the fear caused by thinking that they are missing out on something important in a conversation or on the networks.
As we have talked throughout this article, they are people who consult the mobile at all times, so they are obsessed with always having it close, loaded and with sufficient balance.
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But you should know that in this fact other addictions are also channeled, such as the Internet and social networks, since they offer solutions to their problems in front of the real world. Therefore, these are considered shy individuals or have difficulty relating to their environment.
Mobile addiction test how to know?
As you could see throughout this article, is not so much about being connected or not, but about the use that is given to it. So surely we are more in a process of having that educate and generate new habits and control patterns on the mobile, that turn it off or eliminate it.
To know if you are addicted or you will not need to answer the questions we will ask you in this test. All must be answered according to your reality. Once you finish it, you will know how much you need your mobile.
It should be noted that this will not give you a diagnosis, you can only identify the abusive uses you give:
- How much time do you spend connecting to the Internet?
- Is it hard for you to remain without Internet for several hours or days in a row?
- Do you have trouble controlling your Did you constantly check your mobile?
- Do you use your mobile phone for longer than you should?
- If the day you don’t have it, do you feel uncomfortable or as if something was missing? very important?
- Have you tried to reduce your mobile phone use without success?
- Do you have a hard time spending time without consulting the WhatsApp or other platforms to check if you have new messages or Are there any new updates?
- You constantly check your device in case someone has written or called you, even if it didn’t ring?
- Do you sleep with the phone next to it and on?
- The first thing you do when you wake up is to look at your mobile?
- The last thing you do before sleeping is to look at the mobile?
- If you accidentally leave it on the house or in the car, do you go back to look for it?
- Do you check your cell phone while having lunch, dinner or breakfast?
- Have you stopped doing important tasks such as work or study because you are aware of it?
- Do you feel uninformed if you haven’t consulted your cell phone all day?
- When you get to a place, the first thing you do is ask for the Wi-Fi password?
- Are you anxious when you’re not around?
- Are you afraid of the idea that your battery runs out?
- Do you mind not being able to use the applications when you want to do it? ?
- Would you be able to give up carrying a mobile phone in your hand?
Analyze the results:
- Between 16 and 20 affirmative answers: You are 100% addicted and if you don’t have it you can present serious symptomatic problems.
- Between 11 and 15 answers affirmative: You know the right time to stop using it.
- Between 6 and 10 affirmative answers: You have a lot of self-control.
- Between 1 and 5 affirmative answers: You are zero addictive and could even live with a non-intelligent team.