Cellphone addiction: signs, negative impact on life and coping strategies

A Quick Guide

Cellphone addiction is a compulsive usage of a cellphone and the internet that interferes with one’s life, relationships, and work performance. It is characterized by excessive checking of texts and notifications, compulsive app use, and a preference for online interactions over real-life connections. It can have physical and psychological symptoms, impact daily life, and be difficult to control. Coping strategies include recognizing triggers, setting usage targets, engaging in alternative activities, seeking support, and establishing tech-free zones.

What is cellphone addiction?

Do you consider yourself the sort of person who never goes to any place without taking your phone along? Even if it’s from one room to another in your own house? Dependency on cell phones is commonly seen among people nowadays. Especially considering that cellphone keeps us socially connected to others across the globe. But for some people, this dependency goes overboard and develops into a cellphone addiction.

The compulsive usage of a cellphone and the internet may eventually start to interfere with one’s life, relationships, and work performance. This addiction may exhibit in the form of

• Compulsive checking of texts, emails, and notifications
• Using the phone even if it is to just scroll randomly on social media or play games
• Compulsive use of apps
• Excessively watching videos and seasons on the phone
• Surfing the web
• Doing excessive online shopping
• Posting a lot of selfies or life updates, or frequently checking the number of likes on one’s post on social media.

Other terms for cellphone addiction

Such a person despite being aware of the damaging aspects of his/her excessive phone usage, is unable to stop him or herself. We can say cellphone addiction becomes an impulse control problem. In colloquial language, other terms are used to describe problems associated with increased phone usage such as:

• Phantom vibrations: Feeling that your phone vibrating when it is not. These vibrations are similar to the ones when one receives texts/notifications.
• Nomophobia: Fear of being without the mobile phone
• Textaphrenia: Fear that you cannot send or receive texts

Signs of Cell phone addiction

Cellphone addiction is not recognized by DSM-V or APA as a psychological disorder. However, its habitual misuse and negative effect on functioning share many characteristics with addiction disorders. Below are stated a few signs of it:

Physical symptoms

Excessive phone usage may lead to the following physical symptoms:

• Eyestrain
• Headaches
• ‘Text neck’ which is a pain in the neck due to constantly looking down at the phone to text
• Disturbed sleep (since many people keep their phones on their bedside and wake up through the night to check their messages)
• Acne or skin problems from bacteria on the phone

Psychological symptoms

Excessive phone usage may lead to the following psychological symptoms:

• Isolation from friends and family. Many loved ones notice and express this to the person in question.
• Fear of missing out when not using a phone.
• Feeling like people online understand you better.
• Dread upon leaving your phone at home
• Hiding your phone usage from others and going to quiet places to use it.
• Difficulty concentrating, focusing, or maintaining attention due to sensory overload from excessive phone usage.
• The urge to use cell phones more and more.
• Previous attempts at reducing phone usage often fail.
• Experiencing distress and discomfort when not using a phone.
• Frequently experiencing a sense of ‘loss of time’ due to excessive phone usage.
• The need to get the newest phone or the latest app.
• Mindless scrolling when not using the phone for a productive reason.
• Using a cellphone while doing other activities e.g. eating dinner, studying, etc.
• Trouble completing everyday tasks at home, work, or maintaining relationships. e.g. The person puts them off using their cellphone and puts these areas at risk.
• Withdrawal symptoms: restlessness, anger, irritability, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbance, and craving for phone usage.

Impact of cellphone addiction on daily life

Cellphone addiction has a negative impact on one’s relationships since such a person prefers his online friends over real-life friends. Their virtual reality becomes their new world. Even while being with friends and family, they are mentally absent and think about their online friends.

Similarly, dating apps provide a platform for compulsive hookups with no strings attached. As a result, these people get hooked on short-term relationships and do not invest in long-term relationships which require active effort to work. Cybersex addiction is another associated problem, where anonymity facilitates such people to related interests e.g., online pornography, fantasies, one-night stands, etc.

Why cellphone addiction is difficult to control

People are usually unable to control their addiction since cell phones are handy and convenient. One can take the phone anywhere and it offers easy access to the rest of the world. Similarly, cell phones act as a source of comfort for many people. It provides a gateway to escape from real-life problems e.g. anxiety, depression, stress, etc. It even plays a role in alleviating one’s mood. So, many people rely on it to cope. For example, people with social anxiety often rely on their phones for most of their communication to avoid the anxiety of face-to-face communication.

While cell phones have their benefits, they also contribute to loneliness, anxiety stress, and depression in their users. Many people use it to compare themselves with others and feel low about themselves. Some individuals fear missing out or being out of touch with the ‘real fun’ so they use their phones 24/7.

How to cope with cellphone addiction

The following strategies can be used to deal with excessive phone usage:

• Recognize your triggers. Ask yourself, When do you use your phone most often? What’s going on in your environment? What do you feel at that time? Understand these and try to self-soothe yourself in such situations instead of turning to your phone.
• Be aware of the urge to use your phone to check notifications, and try to delay it.
• Gradually start interacting with real people in your surroundings.
• Check your total hours of phone usage and set daily targets to reduce it.
• Come up with alternative enjoyable activities apart from using your phone. Schedule your day with other activities e.g. join a book, or club, go to a class, go for a walk, etc.
• Consider building a support network. Ask other people how they are managing their excessive phone usage.
• Take help from a counselor if needed.
• Do not bring your phone with you to bed.
• Establish tech-free zones in your house and limit phone usage in them.
• Delete social media apps from your phone. Check notifications once a day from your laptop.
• Install screen time apps to keep your phone usage in check.

Cellphone addiction can be challenging to manage. However, if you commit to it, you can reduce your phone usage and get back from virtual life to real life.
If you are worried about excessive screen time in children and how to manage it, check out this article. Similarly, if you are struggling with excessive texting in abbreviations and its effect on your study habits, read this article to learn how to manage it.