Now a day's college students are spending more than 9 hours per day on their mobile phones, which leads to addiction. (2012), cell phones are “possibly the biggest non-drug addiction of the 21 st century”. In 1983, the first mobile phone was introduced in the market, now a days these instruments have become lifeline in most of the societies.Īccording to Shambare et al. The phobia due to technological advancement is also called TECHNOPHOBIA. Day by day it is changing and due to technological advancement, new challenges are creeping up on a regular basis. We cannot escape from the influence of modern technology in 21 st century. Almost 77% students checked their cell phones more than 35 times per day.Īnother study revealed that more than 50% nomophobics never switch off their mobile phones. On comparing the stress levels it was found that the anxiety level was at-par with those of “wedding day jitters.”Ī study was conducted among undergraduate students in Health Services, found that out of 547 males, 23% of the students were labeled as nomophobic, while 64% students were at risk of developing nomophobia. 55% of the participants agreed that they are not able to maintain connectivity with their dear and near one, which was the main reason for their phobia. That study also revealed that approximately 58% of male and 47% of female suffered from the mobile phone anxiety, and additionally 9% felt strained when their mobile phones were switched off. The study found that nearly 53% British who used mobile phones, pretend to be apprehensive when they “lose their mobile phone, run out of battery or credit, or have no network coverage”. The objective of that study was to evaluate the possibility of anxiety disorders occurred due to overuse of mobile phones. The term, “NOMOPHOBIA,” was coined by the United Kingdom (UK) Post Office in 2008 during a study who commissioned YouGov, a UK-based research organization. It is very difficult to differentiate whether the patient becomes NOMOPHOBIC due to mobile phone addiction or existing anxiety disorders manifest as NOMOPHOBIC symptoms. Other mental disorders like, social phobia or social anxiety, and panic disorder may also precipitate NOMOPHOBIC symptoms. The various psychological factors are involved when a person overuses the mobile phone, e.g. The term NOMOPHOBIA is constructed on definitions described in the DSM-IV, it has been labelled as a “phobia for a particular/specific things”. So, we need to limit our use of mobile phones rather than banning it because we cannot escape the force of technological advancement. We have to re-establish the human-human interactions, face to face connections. We have to stay in the real world more than virtual world. That's why NOMOPHOBIA should be diagnosed by exclusion. The complexity of this condition is very challenging to the patients’ family members as well as for the physicians as NOMOPHOBIA shares common clinical symptoms with other disorders. Some mental disorders can precipitate NOMOPHOBIA also and vice versa. So, we have to be very judicious regarding its diagnosis. NOMOPHOBIA may also act as a proxy to other disorders. The signs and symptoms are observed in NOMOPHOBIA cases include- anxiety, respiratory alterations, trembling, perspiration, agitation, disorientation and tachycardia. It is very difficult to differentiate whether the patient become NOMOPHOBIC due to mobile phone addiction or existing anxiety disorders manifest as NOMOPHOBIC symptoms. The burden of this problem is now increasing globally. Various psychological factors are involved when a person overuses the mobile phone, e.g., low self-esteem, extrovert personality. The term NOMOPHOBIA or NO MObile PHone PhoBIA is used to describe a psychological condition when people have a fear of being detached from mobile phone connectivity.
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