Friendships may Fade Away Due to Addiction to Mobile Phones

A new study has revealed that mobile phone addiction is eroding our personal relationships.

Earlier research have already revealed that young adults send over 100 texts and check their mobile phones up to 60 times a day.

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According to researchers of the new study, compulsively checking a mobile phone is an addiction similar to compulsive spending or credit card misuse, the Daily Mail reported.

The research showed that mobile and instant messaging addictions are driven by materialism and impulsiveness - which also plays a role in behavioural and substance addictions, they said.

Dr James Roberts, of the Baylor's Hankamer School of Business, said it was important for students - who spend up to seven hours a day interacting with communication technology - to recognise when their behaviour is becoming a problem.

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"Mobile phones are a part of our consumer culture. They are not just a consumer tool, but are used as a status symbol," the paper quoted Dr Robertsas saying.

"They're also eroding our personal relationships," he added.

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Previous studies into the habits of university students have revealed young adults send an average 109.5 texts a day - the equivalent of around 3,200 messages a month.

They receive an additional 113 texts and check their phones 60 times in a typical day. In all, students spend about seven hours a day interacting with information and communication technology.

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That mobile phones are accessible at any time - even during class - and possess an ever-expanding array of functions, makes their use or over-use increasingly likely, researchers have said.

Dr Roberts and his team said that, for the majority of young people, losing their phone would be 'disastrous to their social lives'.

Source-ANI