Smartphone has become an important tool for everyone. It is a great computing device that is small, easy to fit in, and has the power of many older computers combined. It has truly changed how we interact with technology and consume information. Today, whatever we find, we try to go to the internet throthough our phone for anything we want to know about. But the smartphone is not just for the internet, it is a great tool not just for internet usage but also for other usages like taking a photo, talking to someone, and even basic tasks like writing notes. So in short, smartphone has been a great option for a variety of reasons. It has been a changing factor for billions of humans across the world. But with technology comes the method of utilizing it. If we keep using it beyond a certain limit, it may not be good but worse for it. We may get a smartphone addiction. This is when smartphone addiction comes into the picture. There’s a term for it called “Nomophobia”. It is an addiction with which a person finds it extremely difficult to avoid the usage of a smartphone and has the fear of losing the smartphone.
The smartphone addiction
Smartphone addiction is real and a big issue. Many people today suffer from it. They find it extremely difficult to avoid the usage of the smartphone. They start to find it difficult to stay away from the phone. They constantly try to check the phone for text messages and other notifications. This is a common and serious issue. With smartphone addiction, it becomes extremely difficult to do the daily work of life without the involvement of the smartphone. They try different ways to get near their find and get uncomfortable without the presence of their phone near them.
Issues with smartphone addiction
With smartphone addiction, one gets surrounded by different issues. They find it difficult to do their daily work if they are at a job, they find it difficult to put their time into the work and keep the work running without wasting time while using the smartphone. Many people have even been fired from their jobs due to work negligence as they kept on spending their time on their smartphones. With constant smartphone usage, you may also find it difficult to put your interest into the activity. It is also well-known that smartphones can invite various issues like anxiety which is quite known. Many people who stay away from the smartphone are known to suffer from depression and anxiety. These issues are fairly common and work as a side effect of smartphone addiction. Those with smartphone addiction are also found to have issues with their social health. While using smartphones, generally social media is the place to go. While being on social media, a person is exposed to different people. Sometimes they see a very happy couple and have a better life on social media, which can create rifts in real-life relationships due to the exceeded expectations from the social media world. So the impact of this addiction is vast and not limited to one or two areas.
Text claw, a medical issue
Using a smartphone constantly without any break may not just cause psychological issues but also can cause physical harm. Text claw is a term that is often used to describe the pain that one gets into their fingers and hand with constant use of a smartphone and activities like scrolling and typing. This develops pain which can be quite uncomfortable. To avoid this issue, it is important to stay away from excessive use of the phone. When a person is away from the phone, their finger gets relieved from the stress of using the phone.
Phantom Pocket Vibration Syndrome
Many psychological issues have also been found in those who are suffering from the issue of addiction to their smartphone Like many other issues that are reported with smartphone addiction, this is also been found in those who are suffering from smartphone addiction. In Phantom Pocket Vibration Syndrome, a person may feel that a phone is vibrating in their pocket and when they take it out, they find that nothing is going on. Scientists are still not sure why this issue has been going on but according to many, those who are suffering from smartphone addiction may be having this issue more than often. The reason for this issue can be attributed to the fact that smartphone has changed the sensory perception of our brain and makes our brain hallucinate these type of phantom vibrations that are not real. This issue has been quite common and according to a study in 2012, nine out of then college undergrads during a study had told that they felt phantom vibrations.
Breaking the addiction
To break smartphone addiction, it is also very important to follow well-established steps. These steps can be great for killing the addiction and becoming more aware of real-world life.
- Apps: Various apps are there to calculate the amount of time you spend on your phone. These apps can be great for keeping the check of the time like how much you spend on your smartphone and how much is healthy. Many of these apps also come with the function to lock the phone once the time is up so that a person can not use most of the functions of the phone if they want to.
- Taking part in activities: It is a great way to keep the brain away from the phone. There are many different activities which a person can take part in. You can take part in meditation programs, yoga, or other activities like Zumba classes. Even basic activities such as running can be a great way to keep the mind diverted from the phone and towards something more productive.
- Going out: Many times, people use the phone because they are bored and have nothing to lose the extra time. For those times, it is a good idea to get out of the home and do something like spending time with friends in a restaurant or going to the market. The main goal is to utilize the time for something else than a smartphone.
- Reading: Reading is another great way which is not only entertaining but also a good way to learn new things and expand your knowledge. You can read different books like fiction or nonfiction. Books which are self-help books are quite popular and have been proven to be quite helpful. These books are written by those who are experienced individuals and they share their life experiences in a book for others to know about.