Nomophobia. It’s a real thing. It means ‘no-mobile’ phobia and describes the anxiety and discomfort you experience when you realize you have left your phone somewhere or lost it. You freak out, your heart rate spikes, you immediately turn around and head back home to retrieve it or go into full-on panic mode thinking it’s lost. Your whole life is in that phone, right?! I seriously laughed when I read an article talking about nomophobia. I thought it was a joke, but alas, it’s an actual condition. What does that tell you about the world we live in if we have phone separation anxiety?!
Okay, I admit it. I check my phone waaaay more than I need to. I’ll justify it because I’ll say it’s for the site: I have to check my work email or check the blog. But truth be told, I’m probably just another phone addict like everyone else in our society. We have a greater attachment to our phones, so when we lose them, the reaction is more severe.
“Heavy smartphone users view their devices as an extension of self. The more personalized one’s smartphone experience is, the greater the attachment.”
Makes sense. Also makes me realize that if we are so addicted to our phones that there is a condition out there to describe what happens when we part with them, maybe we need to get our smart phone addictions in check. Walk away from them for awhile? Give ourselves some space from technology? Deliberately leave them at home?
What do you think? Have you ever experienced this? Are you a phone addict? Do you think this is an issue for many?
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