Imagine the following situation:
Your cell phone is on the table, with the display down, beside the computer. In a usual automatic gesture, he picks it up - "will there be any new notifications that didn't make the phone vibrate and that I didn't notice"?. Thinking with doubt is quick, automatic, it is almost difficult to understand.
Another situation:
He's out and about and has his cell phone in his pocket. He asks himself what time it will be and takes his cell phone out of his pocket to find out. Unlock it and immediately notice the small battery symbol in the upper right corner: it's red! Practically empty! How do you feel right now?
What is Nomophobia?
Nomophobia is a word derived from the English expression "no mobile phone phobia".
A phobia is an irrational and/or exaggerated fear; "nomo" is an abbreviation of the English terms "no mobile". Nomophobia can therefore be defined as a phobia of being/going without a cell phone.
If you're paying attention to our blog, you might have come across a recent article that explores the theme "FoMO - Fear of being left out", ie the fear of not knowing what's happening at the moment, whether with friends, acquaintances, people you follow in general or simply what is happening in the world. This fear may be involved in the emergence of nomophobia, for a need to always stay connected to the online world in order to avoid the feeling of FoMO, the feeling that you are missing something important.
Nomophobia is related to a type of addiction/addiction that has emerged over the years and is related to the fact that mobile phones, as well as other electronic devices, have become increasingly smaller, more portable and with constant access to Internet.
Have you noticed the importance of this fact? What does it imply?
This means that a person in (virtually) anywhere in the world, every second that passes (!), is contactable and locatable and, in addition, has the possibility to know and see what is happening in any other corner. of the world in real time, at that precise moment.
How not to be overwhelmed by the giant absorption of information and the "What if(s)...?" that the removal of social networks can induce to arise in our mind? How not to fear that something important is being missed?
Normally, nomophobia is identified mainly in pre-teens and teenagers, as they are the ones who most consume this type of technology and who spend more time on social networks. But consumption is increasingly widespread over several generations and economic and social conditions, which leads us to envisage a widespread prevalence of this fear.
Signs of Nomophobia
Even though it is not (at least yet) considered a psychological disorder, there are some signs that can help to identify if you have nomophobia, such as:
Feeling anxiety when you don't use your cell phone for a long time
Needing to take several breaks from work to use your cell phone
Never turn off your cell phone, even when sleeping
Waking up in the middle of the night to go to the cell phone
Charge your phone frequently to ensure you always have a battery
Getting really upset when you forget your cell phone at home
Check your phone frequently to see if it has notifications
Feeling anxious when you are in an environment without Internet connection
Take your mobile phone charger with you everywhere
In addition, other physical symptoms that appear to be associated with signs of nomophobia are those of any addictive disorder (addiction), such as increased heart rate, excessive sweating, restlessness, restlessness, and rapid breathing.
How to avoid addiction
To try to fight nomophobia there are some guidelines that can be followed every day:
Have several moments during the day when you don't have your cell phone and prefer to talk in person
Progressively decrease mobile phone use (for example, limiting exposure time to social media)
Do not use your cell phone in the first 30 minutes after waking up and in the last 30 minutes before bedtime
Putting the mobile phone to charge away from the bed
Turn off your cell phone at night
Connect with yourself and try to understand what brings you true satisfaction. Easy, quiet.
Won't it be when you live outside your cell phone, with the simplest things?
Much simpler than knowing who is taking the most extraordinary trip around the world or driving the latest Mercedes car, isn't it?