Many of us can’t imagine what life would be like without a smartphone. It’s an indispensable tool with an incredible number of uses. But an increasingly robust evidence base has emerged of mental and physical harms associated with excessive smartphone use.
Smartphones are certainly useful. But when you spend more time with your phone than you do interacting with actual people, or you can’t stop compulsively checking texts, emails, your Twitter feed or other apps, or you can’t ever switch off your cellphone, it could be having a negative impact on your life. And a condition called nomophobia occurs when anxiety takes over a person if they are out of cellphone contact because of not having a phone with them, or due to poor or no reception, or low or no battery.
American adults now spend on average of eight hours a day engaging with digital media. This is increasingly being done on a smartphone, though a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer can also be used. Digital media include a wide variety of apps and websites, but also social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or X, TikTok and others), podcasts, blogs and video sharing software.
Before the advent of mass usage of smartphones, the United Kingdom Post Office coined a new term in 2008, “nomophobia,” as it commissioned You.Gov—a U.K. based research organization—to evaluate anxieties experienced by mobile phone users. Simply put, nomophobia or “no mobile phone phobia” is when a person experiences fear from not having mobile phone connectivity. Individuals with nomophobia can be overcome by panic at the thought of being without their cell- or smartphone. Adolescents and young adults tend to suffer more from nomophobia.
As psychologist Mark Travers explains, while nomophobia it is not yet considered an officially recognized mental disorder like other specific phobias—such as fears of animals or heights—but its conceptualization is informed by conditions already included in the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders.
Research is showing that symptoms of nomophobia include many of those observed in other phobias, such as anxiety, shaking, sweating, agitation and breathing difficulties. Study results suggest that feelings of nomophobia may also be related to withdrawal and addiction. As such, findings could support the inclusion of a “Smartphone Addiction Disorder” in future editions of the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders.
A systematic review of the evidence in 2021 shows that in global population surveys there is a very wide range of prevalence of the presence and severity of nomophobia. For example, depending on the study cited, the percentages of “at-risk” respondents varied from 13% to 79%. The disparities between studies may be due to differences in the self-reported assessment criteria employed by researchers.
Also, within the same study we see an enormous disparity from country to country. For instance, among university students surveyed worldwide, the prevalence of nomophobia ranged from 6% to 73%, depending on the nation, according to a study published in January 2023.
But if we look at the extensiveness of nomophobia in a given country like the United States, and in specific professions such as law and healthcare, there’s clear evidence that it is omnipresent.
It’s been known for quite some time that many U.S. lawyers, for example, are hooked onto their devices. But perhaps more surprisingly is the percentage of the U.S. healthcare workforce that has nomophobia. More than 99% of healthcare providers met at least one criterion for nomophobia according to a newly released survey. Approximately 64% met criteria for moderate nomophobia, 20% for severe and 16% for mild. Most respondents to the survey were internists, followed by surgeons, nurses, dentists, radiologists and psychiatrists.
The Guardian asked experts from the U.S. and U.K. earlier this year about the benefits and risks of smartphones. While everyone agreed on the use value of these devices, there wasn’t a consensus on harms for the population as a whole. However, all experts agreed that uncontrolled use of smartphones could be pernicious to vulnerable youth with still developing minds.
The hold that smartphones can have on adolescents’ lives is well-documented. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that the more time a young person spends consuming digital media each day, the more likely they are to struggle with mental health symptoms, according to the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Besides the isolation it can cause, cell phone addiction can shorten attention spans and unrestrained use has been linked with impaired cognitive function.
Given the distraction from teaching and learning, some school districts are imposing restrictions or rules that regulate cellphone usage in school. At the local and state levels, school authorities have even begun endorsing cellphone bans.
There are also several negative physical effects connected to smartphone use. To illustrate, WebMD describes “tech neck syndrome,” which refers to a person suffering from a strained neck, soreness and possible spasms as a result of hunching and poor posture while using electronic devices. Physiotherapists say that when we use our phones or tablets, we tend to flex our neck and shoulders which can lead to strain on the muscles and joints.
And phones can be a distraction while driving. While there’s not yet a definitive nationwide dataset linking cell phone use to motor vehicle crashes, safety experts suggest it’s a worsening problem.
Mobile phones allow people to stay connected with their family, friends, acquaintances and work colleagues at all times. And among other things, using a smartphone one can also take pictures, purchase items, control home appliances, request an Uber, look up pretty much anything and get directions to where you need to go along with the most efficient route to your destination. With these super powers, however, come drawbacks. It’s important to be aware of the possible mental and physical harms caused by excessive use of smartphones.
