A variety of studies have popped up over the last few years investigating the relationship between people and their phones. With mobile phone addiction (nomophobia) being the topic in question, is our guilty pleasure of apps, social media and selfies becoming a problem?
Frequency = Addiction
According to researchers at the University of Derby it definitely is, with 13% of subjects being classified as addicted to their smartphones – that’s one in eight people.
Their study found that we spend on average 3.6 hours a day on our devices. It also found that those who spend more time on their phones have a more severe addiction.Dr Hussain, Psychology Lecturer at the university, added that there is “a significant positive relationship… between narcissism and addiction to the phones, suggesting that the more narcissistic a person is, the more likely they are to be addicted to their smartphone”.
Attention = Danger
This addiction isn’t just impacting individuals. Government data reveals that 22% of fatal road traffic accidents involve mobile phones that have served in some way as a distraction. Commenting on these figures, MP Robert Goodwill believes that “the problem isn’t just drivers making phone calls, it is their use of phones to text or use the internet.”
The same government statistics reinforce Goodwill’s claim, as it was also found that the majority of drivers who are stopped for using their phone have it in their hand (66%), rather than to their ear (33%). Could it be that our need to check notifications and messages is to such an extent that we disobey the law? Whatever our excuse, it’s clear to see that smartphones are creating a problem.
Separation = Anxiety
So what happens if we go without our mobiles? A University of Missouri study found that subjects who were separated from their smartphones displayed signs of elevated heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety. It also found that those who suffered from separation anxiety had diminished cognitive skills, putting a direct link between cognitive ability and addiction.
“The results from our study suggest that iPhones are capable of becoming an extension of ourselves such that when separated, we experience a negative physiological state,” Russell Clayton, the lead author of the study, said in a statement.
Temperament = Addiction
That’s not to say that having our phone at all times steadies our nerves. Researchers at the University of Baylor investigated moods and behaviour, finding that “a person who is moody and temperamental may be more likely to be addicted to their cell phone than more stable individuals”. The research hinted that this could mean we reach for our phones in an attempt to ‘mood repair’.
You don’t have to be a scientist to work out that all of this research points to one conclusion: smartphones can be a problem. Bearing that in mind, if you feel that you spend too much time on your phone, you might need to make a conscious decision to spend more time away from it. Take a look at this guide to cutting the habit. After all, you managed to survive before you had one.
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