Nomophobia: what is the fear of being "disconnected"
Don't you ever leave your phone? Do you compulsively check the screen to make sure there are no unread notifications? Can you never miss a spare battery charger in your bag? Don't you fall asleep if you don't first scrub the Instagram home for at least half an hour? You could suffer from nomophobia. An Internet addiction syndrome, considered like a mental disorder. Let's see in more detail what it consists of, what are the main symptoms, the consequences and possible solutions with which to heal.
What is nomophobia
Nomophobia is one of the main consequences due to the improper use of technology. This term derives its origin from another pathology known as FOMO (fear of missing out), that is a strong state of social anxiety with respect to everything that exciting and incredible you could get lost in your absence on a certain occasion.If FOMO refers to real life, nomophobia (no mobile phone + phobia) is linked to the digital dimension.
The term nomophobia was first coined from a survey conducted by YouGov, a British research organization. The results of this study showed that, in Great Britain, 53% of smartphone owners tend to become anxious when "they lose their mobile, run out of battery or credit or have no network coverage".
Those suffering from nomophobia, also known as disconnection syndrome, struggle to separate from the smartphone in the constant fear of losing control over everything that happens on the web (information, more or less important notifications, content shared by others on social networks). This phobia is so distressing that it pushes the individual to make even more obsessive and reckless use of the technology at their disposal, seriously endangering their physical and mental health.
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What science says about it
David Greenfield, a lecturer at the University of Connecticut, said smartphone addiction does not differ from alcohol or drug addiction. Whether it is a phone, a syringe or a bottle, the sensations do not change for those who are "addicted": the objects in question, in fact, act in the same way, altering the production of dopamine and giving the person the illusion of a well-being that, in the long run, creates addiction.
Similarly, in 2014, two researchers from the University of Genoa (Nicola Luigi Bragazzi and Giovanni Del Puente), after realizing the gravity and extent of the phenomenon, put forward the proposal to add nomophobia to the list of pathologies included in the "inside the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The fear of not being reachable and of staying out of the world generates, in fact, a strong state of anxiety and frustration in the person affected by nomophobia, making medical treatment of the pathological behaviors necessary ensue.
The causes
The underlying causes of nomophobia in particular and of IAD, or Internet addiction, in general are to be found mainly in two conditions: low self-esteem and boredom. In the first case, it happens that insecure people (especially young people between the ages of 18 and 25) are prone to adopt self-destructive behaviors including an exasperated use of social networks. In fact, a few likes or gratifying messages are enough to have the illusion of being valid and this toxic mechanism triggers in the individual the idea of being able to count for something only thanks to the web.In the second case, however, the total absence of stimulating passions or engaging activities that keep body and mind busy leaves more room for the use of the telephone as a filler in free moments.
Symptoms
As already highlighted several times, nomophobia is to be considered a pathology in all respects and, as such, it presents certain symptoms. Let's see which are the most frequent and common:
- Obsessive and constant use of the cell phone
- Tendency to always have a charger with you so that the smartphone battery is never discharged
- Compulsive credit check
- State of anxiety and restlessness when you are unable to use your mobile phone due to a low battery, the absence of a field or a ban imposed by the place or situation (for example during mass or a theatrical performance)
- Ringxiety, a psycho-acoustic syndrome officially recognized in the United States for which the individual claims to hear the ringtone of the cell phone, even when it makes no sound.
- Continuous monitoring of the phone screen for any notifications
- Refusal to turn off their mobile device
- Tiredness and eye discomfort
- Stress, restlessness and, in severe cases, even panic attacks
The consequences
The consequences of excessive use of the Internet are many and all potentially dangerous for the physical and mental health of the individual. Considering that, as reported by the Digital Report 2020, every day in Italy we spend an average of 6 hours online, that of nomophobia is a problem that concerns us closely and that affects the vast majority of us. So, let's see in more detail what the main repercussions of nomophobia can be:
- An abrupt alteration of the natural sleep-wake cycle: many people, in fact, feel the urge to stay connected so strongly that they even lose hours of sleep to do so. Some wake up at night to check for notifications or messages , while others go further, voluntarily implementing what in technical terms has been called "vamping", that is a total deprivation of sleep in order to continue to use digital services. In the long run, this bad habit completely upsets the natural balance between sleep and wakefulness, compromising the performance of the individual in everyday life, both at school and at work.
- Frustration and envy: feelings such as frustration and envy are among the most common in those who develop an addiction to social networks. Spending hours and hours "spying" on the lives of others from a screen, one gets the impression that the existence of others is always better and more interesting than one's own. In the long run, people risk despising their own lives and becoming estranged from relationships with those they feel inferior to.
The remedies
There are several solutions with which to detoxify from your phone, here are the most effective:
- Digital Detox, or a digital "diet" during which you can take a break and review your approach to the online world.
- Store your smartphone at a safe distance so as not to fall into temptation and spend hours and hours checking it.
- Devote yourself to your interests and cultivate relationships in the real world. In fact, it has been established that authentic contact with other people is the most powerful means with which to detoxify from the digital world and finally be able to ignore the smartphone.
- Schedule the days, limiting the time allowed to use the Internet and other apps.
- Avoid going to bed with your smartphone as the blue light emitted by this device can ruinously damage your eyesight and disturb sleep.
