Nomophobia: fear of being away from the cell phone –

Have you ever gone out without your cell phone and felt like a part of you was missing? This is what most connected people feel. A survey carried out by Global Web Index (GWI), an audience segmentation company, points out that the typical global internet user spends three hours and 39 minutes a day using the web on their device. But when this becomes exaggerated, it can be classified as a pathology called nomophobia.

WHAT IS NOMOPHOBIA

It is the fear of being out of contact with the cell phone, being a word derived from the English expression “no mobile phone phobia” (“fear of being without a cell phone”). Although the term is not recognized by the medical community, it has been used to describe addictive behavior and the feelings of anguish and anxiety that some people show when they don’t have their cell phone nearby.

SYMPTOMS OF NOMOPHOBIA

“To find out if the person has an exaggerated problem in the use of cell phones, it is necessary to define whether he is anxious or feels uncomfortable if he does not check all the time if he has received messages or even stays alert in anticipation of the notification signal”, is what he signals. the psychiatrist Maria Francisca Mauro when scoring about problematic phone use.

Different studies have linked this excess to a higher incidence of depression, anxiety and chronic stress.

TURNING OFF NOTIFICATIONS HELP?

Many people, in order to reduce the time they spend online, adopt the strategy of turning off notifications. But this can have the opposite effect of what was expected, as indicated by researchers from the penn state universityin the United States.

From the analysis of data collected on the screen time of 138 phone users, it was found that all research participants began to use their devices more when they left the device in silent mode. On average, they “checked” their phones 53 times a day when alerts were on, a frequency that increased to 98 times after the intervention.

BUT HOW DO I KNOW IF IT IS AN “ADDICT”?

It is worth mentioning that research related to dependence or addiction, in psychiatry, is still very incipient, as Maria Francisca comments.

“Within the psychiatric evaluation criteria, we still don’t have a classification that configures addiction. In surveys, evaluations and evidence, the most commonly used term is ‘problematic cell phone use’. What we do know is that these people use the device as a way to manage some emotions, whether to feel less bored and alone, or a feeling that they are socially inserted through interactions on networks, as if that were a measure of value. Social. We also need to be aware of how these attitudes can be associated with other behaviors, such as addiction to games and online shopping, for example”, points out the psychiatrist.

Evidence from studies of problematic cell phone use seeks to differentiate how this behavior can approach and at the same time distance itself from people who suffer from substance-related problems. “Unlike alcohol, cocaine and other elements of abuse, behavioral addictions do not have a chemical active that will act on the brain. Therefore, criteria such as abstinence and the tolerance effect (need to use larger amounts to obtain the same effect), very limited to substance abuse, become more difficult to be characterized within behavioral dependencies”, explains Maria Francisca.

At a neurobiological level, we know that there is a “brain reward system” (CRS) whose function is to stimulate behaviors that help maintain life, such as sex, food and protection. When the SRC is activated, with the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, it provides immediate sensations of pleasure and satisfaction. However, the psychiatrist comments that there are still no studies that validate a clear association between SRC activation and problematic cell phone use. Within what this field of study has been delimiting, there are more psychiatric conditions and unhealthy behaviors that may be associated with those who have a bad relationship with the use of their mobile device.

“Some markers show us other more validated behaviors, that is, emotional illness, such as depression, anxiety or that configure greater impulsivity. People who tend to act without planning or who do not control themselves through action, in addition to diagnoses of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, may have behavioral traits of problematic cell phone use, in which the form of communication is able to enter into illness routine”, explains the psychiatrist.

Today, the device is also seen as a greater enabler. A risk factor, for example, are young people who are more exposed to the use of social media, the consumption of fitness food content, some imagery behaviors that may favor the opening of cases of eating disorders.

“In addition to pointing out the use of cell phones with harmful consequences for people’s mental health, it is necessary for them to be able to gain more knowledge of the use of technology and its interference in their work routines, coexistence with family and friends”, he comments.

HOW TO DECREASE CELL PHONE USE

To reduce the use of the device, the psychiatrist gives some tips.

“We need to list which measures can be simple in the person’s life. It is necessary to understand how many hours a day you are consuming content on your device, in addition to observing whether it is distributed in work or leisure. It is necessary to understand that it is not a company for you and its use does not give up your dedication to activities, such as work and academics, for example. Another important point is to observe what you have been doing with your interpersonal relationship so that it is not overtaken by some interaction via games, consumption of social media and other elements that end up removing dialogue, conversation and deeper relationships, using the cell phone as an escape device from a routine with interpersonal relationships. It is worth mentioning that it is not recommended to use the device one to two hours before bedtime due to the brightness, information and emotional triggers that can make it difficult to sleep”, he concludes.