Smartphone addiction: what is nomophobia?

By Cristiano Antonino On May 21, 2023

Let’s talk about nomophobia: cell phones (or smartphones, if you prefer) have become almost indispensable in our daily lives but unfortunately many of us have now developed a cell phone addiction

They are used for social media posting, taking photos, recording videos, such as agenda, to do list, calendar, etc. as well as to receive directions, listen to music, play games, make calls.

The smartphone is now a window to the rest of the world, and, for many of us, the main means of interaction

Definitely a useful, efficient object that provides support, with which we often tend to develop a bond that becomes clear when, however crazy it may seem, we perceive the fear of being without a cell phone.

It often happens to feel anxious about not finding your smartphone in your bag, or to be worried when the low battery notification appears in the middle of the day.

As useful as the smartphone is, the concern about having to do without it can be understandable, but if it is not fear or addiction to cell phones, things get complicated.

The scientific term to indicate the uncontrolled fear of being disconnected from contact with the mobile network is Nomophobia (no-mobile-phone-phobia), or cell phone addiction, a term recently introduced in the vocabulary of the Italian language by Zingarelli.

A person suffers from Nomophobia when he experiences a disproportionate fear of being out of touch with the mobile network, to the point of experiencing physical sensations similar to a panic attack: shortness of breath, dizziness, tremors, sweating, rapid heartbeat, chest pain and nausea.

People with nomophobia experience states of anxiety when they run out of battery or credit, or without network coverage or without a smartphone

To avoid states of anxiety, the subject implements a series of protective behaviors such as frequently checking credit, carrying an emergency charger, giving family members an alternative number.

Furthermore, those suffering from nomophobia generally show the use of smartphones in generally inappropriate places

It is very important to evaluate that behind this modern fear there is sometimes a real form of dependence on new technologies.

According to studies by David Greenfield, professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut, smartphone addiction is very similar to all other forms of addiction, because it causes interference in the production of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that regulates the brain reward circuit. encouraging people to engage in activities they believe will give them pleasure.

Cell phone addiction also creates more significant and profound psychological consequences than the fear of giving up Twitter or not receiving a text.

In fact, research on transactive memory points out that, when we have reliable external sources of information on specific topics at our disposal, the motivation and ability to acquire and retain certain information in memory is reduced.

In other words, when we have a reliable source of information, such as our smartphones, over time we lose the desire to remember things or learn anything outside of what is visible on our screens.

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