Mobile phone addiction is on the rise

In the 21st mobilized century dependency on mobile phones has become one of the most “trendy” addictions that has gone widespread all around the world.  The fear of living without a phone and without being connected through it is called nomophobia that has been around probably since the penetration of mobile phones into technological world.



Nowadays more and more people become the victim of “no-mobile-phone” phobia. According to latest surveys, about half of mobile users in Britain suffer from the fear of being without mobile phone contact. The poll results state that 20 % out of 1000 survey participants check their business email accounts even in bed, and 40 % can’t go without a mobile phone even when on the beach, when they are on holiday. The study also showed that many of the people surveyed tended to use their cell phones even in the bathroom.



The obsession with cell phones is so strong among Japanese, that they remain addicted to their phones even in the bathroom. This is especially noticeable among teenagers who need the phone for making calls, sending e-mails and instant messages, playing games and listening to music.



The feeling of discomfort when being separated from phones can also be observed among Australians. The latter keep the phone for sending text messages even when driving and use their phones for accessing emails and messaging about 96 times a day, according to a survey.



Proneness to nomophobia has also spread into India. The recent researches showcase the fact that one in five students in India are obsessed with cell phones. The compelling features such as video games, email access, camera and music players cannot leave students indifferent and keep them busy for hours.



Nomophobia expands into more and more countries and is especially revealed among teenagers who are more experienced in accessing the Internet through cell phones.  It is the dependency of the century that continues to gain momentum and the only way to get rid of it is probably the maximum “real”, face-to-face interaction with people.