Smart phone addiction<\/b><\/p>\n
A lot of us will admit that we all check our smartphone compulsively.\u00a0 Published sources have indicated the following habits among hand phone users:<\/p>\n
We should question the amount of time that people are spending with the new technology, the apparent preoccupation.When you start seeing drivers texting, even though clearly knowing they are endangering their lives and the lives of others, we really have to ask what is so compelling about this new medium.<\/p>\n
Technology is overtaking our daily lives. Regardless of age, gender,\u00a0ethnicity<\/a>,\u00a0career<\/a>\u00a0or economic status, a majority of us owns a smartphone. The phone, computer, tablet and other high tech devices have become not just an object, but for many a best friend.<\/p>\n Many suffer from\u00a0anxiety\u00a0<\/a>if they lose their phone, even if only for a few minutes. We rely on it to do everything, from checking bank balances to sharing photos. We can carry out a plethora of daily tasks, right from the palm of our hand.<\/p>\n At the dinner table, it is becoming the norm to constantly check for texts, emails, tweets and\u00a0Face book<\/a>\u00a0updates. In a darkened theater, there are always several who are multi-tasking while watching the movie.<\/p>\n Over dinner, in church, while driving, and even when carrying on a face to face conversation, the smartphone is guaranteed to keep\u00a0you in tune and in touch.<\/p>\n The “I-must-have-my-phone-with-me-at-all-times” mindset has become such a real problem, there’s now a name coined for the\u00a0fear<\/a>\u00a0of being without your phone:\u00a0nomophobia- as inno<\/b>–\u00a0mo<\/b>(bile) phone-phobia<\/b> –\u00a0 that rush of anxiety and fear when you realised you are disconnected – out of the loop with friends, family, work and the world.<\/p>\n This lack of connection can be the result of no connection, a dead battery, forgetting your phone or worst of all: the horror of\u00a0losing your phone.<\/p>\n We consider the smartphone an extension of ourselves, a best friend, even a soul mate. So the loss can be similar to losing a best friend.<\/p>\n Another interesting aspect here is that being without a phone connection is social in nature,which can lead to abuse. As our culture becomes ever more tech savvy and tech hungry, phone-free zones will become more and more common.<\/p>\n The same thing seems to be happening to the cell phone. It is now common to see public areas now displaying “No cell phone use” signs.\u00a0 This is because common courtesy is often thrown out the window when we are on the phone.<\/p>\n For many of us this will be a welcome respite. For others, it will be a source of intense stress\u00a0and anxiety. So the question now is, when does cell phone obsession become an outright\u00a0addiction<\/a>?<\/p>\n A majority of us probably already know the symptoms:<\/p>\n \u2022 <\/b>Feeling anxious\u00a0whenever you do not have your phone with you.<\/p>\n \u2022 <\/b>Constantly checking\u00a0the phone for new messages, with the compulsion to respond immediately.<\/p>\n \u2022 Not listening \u2013 <\/b>a lot of us have no idea what the person in front of you is talking about as we keep checking Face book page, tweets and texts.<\/p>\n If checking and rechecking one\u2019s phone comes as naturally as breathing or feel anxious or restless any time the phone is not on or near, one may have a technology addiction.<\/p>\n Here are some things which can help:<\/p>\n No texting while driving.<\/b>\u00a0 This is not only for you, but also for the benefit and safety of others. If you need to text — do it before or after you drive. Risking your life just to give a quick response is beyond foolish.<\/p>\n When going to bed,\u00a0it may be fun to tweet, keep up with high school friends on Face book and buy things on eBay just before sleeping, but we are trying to overcome an addiction here. Shut it down and get some shut eye. Or turn the phone off – completely off – before falling asleep.<\/p>\n When you are with friends, turn your phone off. Nothing bad will happen and you will not miss out on an once-in-a-lifetime chance. Each time you do this, it will become easier.<\/p>\n Finally when one is able to manage the above without suffering a panic attack, shortness of breath or dizziness, then\u00a0try leaving the phone at home.\u00a0 Spend a day without technology at your fingertips. Do this in small doses, starting off with an hour or two and then progressing to a whole day. Believe it or not, the world will not come to an end.<\/p>\n Again, anything can be abused, and moderation is the key. Use and appreciate the technology that is available right at your fingertips without letting it rule your life or hinder those around you.<\/p>\n This scribe believes in moderation \u2013 even in the use of modern technology. Despite being an owner of a smart phone, it is only being used to minimal necessity, and even then, not in public or when interacting with friends and working colleagues. \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Smart phone addiction A lot of us will admit that we all check our smartphone compulsively.\u00a0 Published sources have indicated the following habits among hand phone users: \u2022 70% said they check their smartphone within an hour of getting up. \u2022 56% check their phone within an hour of going to\u00a0sleep. \u2022 48% check over the weekend, including on Friday and Saturday nights. \u2022 51% check continuously during vacation. \u2022 44% said they would experience “a great deal of\u00a0anxiety” if they lost their phone and couldn’t replace it for aRead More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6549"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6549"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6551,"href":"http:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6549\/revisions\/6551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}