Nomophobia is a term coined by British researchers in 2008 and refers to people who are anxious when they don’t have access to a mobile phone.
A recent study of 1,000 people showed that the number of people who are afraid to be left without a phone has increased recently from 53% to 66%.
The most dependent on mobile technology were young people aged 18-24 years. Left without a mobile phone, 77% experienced inconvenience within a few minutes. Older people, aged 25-34 years, slightly behind them - 68% experienced such feelings.
The fear of being left without a phone manifests itself in different ways. People with nomophobia never turn off their phone. They are worried that the battery will not run out. They constantly check for new emails, text messages and calls. And they even go to the toilet with a telephone.
It may seem to some that scientists are making “a lot of noise out of nothing,” but this is not so. When a person feels bewildered without a mobile phone, he restricts interpersonal contacts that impede his access to this technology. This may mean less activity in the fresh air, less communication, less intimate relationships and less confidence in their knowledge and abilities.
If for normal well-being we need something, be it a telephone or three glasses of wine, this is already a disease.
Of course, nomophobia is not harmful to the lungs or liver, like drugs or alcohol, but can be very toxic to self-determination and interpersonal relationships, and possibly makes people more vulnerable to other addictions.
