Nomophobia - No Mobile Phone Phobia

Nomophobia is the fear of being out of mobile phone contact. The term was coined by the Great Britain Post Office while conducting a survey on the anxieties and difficulties of mobile phone users.

In today’s busy life mobile phones or cell phones are quite indispensable. Some of us check our cell phones innumerable times a day and even carry it to the washrooms. People are often obsessed with their cell phones.

Nomophobia or ‘no mobile phone phobia’ is a rising lifestyle ailment that is affecting people’s lives. A survey done in UK found that 53 percent of the surveyed population admitted to having this cell phone phobia. The common symptoms include fear of losing reception, fear of running out of battery and even fear of losing sight of phone.

Phobias - Facts, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention
A phobia is an irrational and exaggerated fear of an object or a situation that in reality, poses little or no actual danger.

A nomophobic person starts having pangs of anxiety due to the irrational fear of losing her/his mobile phone.

Some Important Warning Signs of Nomophobia are:

• Confined spaces (claustrophobia)

• Fear of having no network coverage

• Difficulty in switching off the cell phone

Are You Obsessive About Your Cell phone?
Being obsessive about the cellphone could be an indication of a psychological or pathological problem.

• Carrying cell phones to the bathroom

• Recharging the battery again and again

A survey conducted by SecureEnvoy revealed 53 percent people being affected by the fear of losing cell phones.

Recently another study was done in UK that involved 1,000 individuals. In this study 66 percent people admitted to having this fear.

The study showed that young adults aged between 18 and 24 years were more addicted to their cellular phones. About 77 percent of them found it difficult to stay away from their mobile phones even for a few seconds. About 68 percent of people, in the age group of 25 to 54 years, found it difficult to keep away from their mobile phones.

Another important finding of study was that people checked their mobile phone approximately 34 times a day while 75 percent carried cell phones to bathrooms.

Andy Kemshall, co-founder of SecurEnvoy, mentioned: 'The first study into nomophobia, conducted four years ago, revealed that 53 per cent of people suffered from the condition and our study reveals this has now risen to 66 per cent in the UK and shows no sign of abating.’

Mr Kemshall further added: 'With 58 per cent of the respondents using at least one device for business use, this lack of security is a worrying trend that needs addressing.'

An expert said, "Our phone is like our lifeline. It contains all of our most sensitive information, so naturally here's a lot of fear we have about losing it."

The study concluded that young people are more likely to be affected with nomophobia and women are more prone to develop this fear than men.

References:

1.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2141169/The-biggest-phobia-world-Nomophobia--fear-mobile--affects-66-cent-us.html

2.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomophobia

3.http://www.neatorama.com/2012/05/09/nomophobia

Source-Medindia