<h1>Nomophobia: The Fear Of Being Without Your Phone </h1>
<h2>Introduction </h2>
<p>Technology has had a huge impact on our lives. Personally, I have made many changes in my life, thanks to technology, especially in terms of smartphones. Smartphones have made it possible for me to stay connected with family and friends and stay connected with the internet. </p>
<p>Staying updated with the current news and trends has always been my thing. Not until I realized I’m staying on the phone for long hours, going to bed late, disconnecting from the people around me and most worrying, getting a bit sickly when I’m far from my phone. It got me feeling so frustrated. I want to stay in touch with my family and friends while at the same time, check my phone. I couldn’t just balance that. It was almost impossible. That got me asking myself, I’m I addicted to my phone? </p>
<h2>What is Nomophobia? </h2>
<p>The term was recently coined to explain the fear of not being without their phone. This includes forgetting, losing, breaking your phone and not being in contact with your phone. Many people are worried about being connected in the world today and it’s beginning to be a big deal than ever before. </p>
<p>Do you ever feel panicked when you are not able to find your phone? Do you ever feel sickly when stranded in a place that does not have cellular service? If you have ever experienced any of these feelings? Then you might just be showing signs of this phobia. </p>
<p> Nomophobia is an abbreviation of ‘no-mobile-phone phobia’. This term was first brought about back in 2008 after research was carried out. Among 2100 adults selected, the research showed that 53% of them had had experience with nomophobia. This condition comes with increased anxiety when people misplace their phones, lack cellular coverage or run out of battery. </p>
<p>Research shows that this fear can be so extreme that people never want to turn off their smartphones. When asked why they don’t want to turn off their phones even at night when they are not using them, they gave their main reason as the need to keep in touch with family and friends. Some gave their reason as the need to keep in touch with work. A few said that they get anxious when they turn off their phones. </p>
<h2>How common is this phobia? </h2>
<p>Research carried out on this phobia suggests that this phenomenon is widespread. A research carried out by students in India indicated that 22% of those who took part in the study displayed severe symptoms of suffering from this norm. 60% of the participants had mild symptoms. </p>
<h2>Symptoms </h2>
<p>While this phobia is not diagnosed clinically, some of the common symptoms related to it include; </p>
<ul>
<li>Inability to switch off your smartphone. </li>
<li>Checking your phone constantly for missed calls, emails and messages. </li>
<li>Carrying your phone everywhere with you, even in the bathroom. </li>
<li>Charging your phone regularly. Even when it’s almost nearly fully charged. </li>
<li>Checking all the time that your phone is with you. </li>
<li>Worrying about the worst happening to you and being stranded to call for help. </li>
<li>Stress of being disconnected from your online presence. </li>
<li>Skipping planned events to spend time with your mobile phone. </li>
</ul>
<p>Besides emotional and cognitive symptoms, people will also have physical symptoms. Some of these physical symptoms include; breathing faster, increased heart rate, sweating more and trembling. In some cases, they even start feeling dizzy. Severe cases can lead to panic attacks. </p>
<h2>Nomophobia facts </h2>
<p>Researchers were able to identify some facts about this phobia after researching in 2015. This fear is centered on; </p>
<ul>
<li><b>Lacking the ability to communicate with other people. </b></li>
<li><b>Inability to access information. </b></li>
<li><b>Feeling disconnected from the outside world. </b></li>
</ul>
<p>People experiencing this phobia are always constantly checking their phones, carrying their phones everywhere, even in the bathroom, spend many hours on their phones and have feelings of helplessness when they are not close to their mobile devices. </p>
<p>Non-stop phone use results in increased stress, depression and anxiety. Overusing the phone leads to negative effects such as increased anxiety, low grades, low self-esteem and low life satisfaction. </p>
<h2>Why is Nomophobia a problem? </h2>
<p>There are various reasons why people show symptoms of this phobia. Some of the causes of this phobia are; </p>
<h3>1. Being used to daily activities </h3>
<p>Being used to cellphones plays a major role when one does not have his/her phone. Mobile phones can do a lot. People use them for business, sharing personal information, staying in touch and managing money. </p>
<p>Since people use their phones for so many reasons, it’s not a surprise that people are afraid of being without their phones. People feel cut off without their phones and disconnected from several aspects of life such as friends, work and family. </p>
<h3>2. The daily amount of usage. </h3>
<p>A research conducted in 2014 revealed that college students spent up to nine hours per day on their phones. This constant phone usage is a representation of a technological paradox. Smartphones can be oppressing at the same time freeing. Besides using phones to communicate and socialize, smartphones can cause over-dependence that is restricting. Being away from phones will result in phone separation anxiety among people. </p>
<h3>3. Familiarity with technology </h3>
<p>It is common to find this phobia among teens and young adults. Teenagers are mostly digital natives. This means they are born and raised in the age of technology. These devices have become part of their lives because they had an early experience with the internet, cell phones and computers. </p>
<h2>Diagnosis </h2>
<p>This phobia can be grouped under situational specific phobias based on the symptoms. Researchers came up with a questionnaire for this phobia to scrutinize the symptoms of the phobia. The questionnaire is seen as a measure of this phobia. </p>
<p>High levels of this phobia are measured by this questionnaire and it suggests if this phobia can be related to other disorders. </p>
<h2>FAQS </h2>
<h3>Is there a treatment for this phobia? </h3>
<p> Yes, there is treatment. If you feel you have this phobia, it will help you sit down with a mental health professional and talk to them. Other treatments include: </p>
<ul>
<li>Exposure therapy: This is a behavioral technique where you learn to face your fears slowly. In the case of this phobia, you slowly learn how to go without your phone. </li>
<li>Cognitive-behavioral therapy: This process involves addressing the negative thoughts that lead to unwanted behaviors. The therapist helps you to learn new ways of replacing negative thoughts. </li>
<li>Medications: If you have this phobia, you can be prescribed anti-anxiety drugs that will treat some of your symptoms. </li>
</ul>
<h3>2. How do you cope with this phobia? </h3>
<p>If you have a feeling you have this phobia, there are a few things that you can do. </p>
<ul>
<li><b>Set boundaries </b> with your mobile phone. </li>
<li><b>Find a balance </b> between using your phone and interacting with people. </li>
<li>Take short breaks from using your phone. You can distract yourself by engaging in other activities. </li>
</ul>
<h2>Bottom line </h2>
<p>This phobia is fast growing among people due to the obsession of using technology. It can be hard to overcome since many people are dependent on phones for work, entertainment, news and connecting with people socially. <p>
<p>Stopping mobile use at once is not possible, it’s best to slowly learn how to limit yourself and set boundaries on how much your phone influences your lifestyle. </p>