HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE A SMATPHONE ADDICT!!

Do you feel sick when there is no internet connection or your battery is low? Do you feel the desire to check your phone every time?  Well if you experience these you might be suffering from Nomophobia.

Being confronted with the low battery sign doesn’t leave people hunting for a charger, but it also makes them feel panicked too. According to a new survey people live in ‘constant fear’ of their mobile phone running out of battery. This condition is only getting worse with the advancement of technology.

SYMPTOMS OF NOMOPHOBIA

• Being unable to turn off your phone.
• Obsessively checking your phone.
• Constantly topping up the battery.
• Using your phone in the washrooms.
• Chatting when you are heavily occupied or walking on the road.

People with Nomophobia are at risk of suffering from wrist and neck pain. Also, likely to get distracted from their studies and work. Showing that not only does problematic use of smartphones induce negative effects on your physical condition but also on the overall quality of your everyday life.

SIMPLE NOMOPHOBIA TEST

• Write numbers 1-18 down the side of a sheet of paper.
• Answer each question using a scale of 1-7 [where one is strongly disagree and 7 is strongly agree] and add up your score at the end.

The higher the number the more severe your Nomophobia is.

• If you score 20-60 you have mild Nomophobia
• 60-100 you have moderate Nomophobia
• 100 and above. You have severe and serious Nomophobia.

THE QUESTIONS

1. I would feel uncomfortable without constant access to information through my phone.
2. I always check my phone after every 2 minutes.
3. When at work I hide in the washrooms just to check what’s happening on social media.
4. I would be annoyed if I could not look for information up on my phone when I wanted to do so.
5. Being unable to get news makes me nervous.
6. I would be annoyed if I could not use my phone/ or its capabilities when I wanted to.
7. Running out of battery kills me.
8. If I don’t have bundles or WIFI connection I mostly panic.
9. If I could not use my smartphone, I would be afraid of getting stranded somewhere.
10. If I don’t check my phone for a while, I always have desire to check it.
11. If I do not have a phone with me I feel anxious because I will not communicate with my friends.
12. I will be worried because my family will not reach me.
13. If I don’t have my phone I feel nervous because I will not text or make calls.
14. If I don’t have my phone I always feel disconnected from my online identity, Facebook, twitter and emails.
15. I always loose morale without my phone.
16. I always carry my phone wherever I go and when I forget it I’d rather get late while going back for it.
17. I chat very late at night on social media.
18. My phone is the first thing I pick when I wake up in the morning.