Are you addicted to your smartphone? Watch out for these symptoms

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An addiction that worries more and more
For millions of people, the smartphone has become a problematic habit of doing without. For some, the smartphone even threatens to become an addiction that one cannot do without, at the risk of becoming ill and suffering withdrawal symptoms, just like other addictive substances.

The first sign to look out for
How do we know if we are addicted to the smartphone or if we might become so? There are a few signals we need to watch out for. According to the PEW Research Center in Washington, which also provides information on social problems, at least 67% of smartphone owners said that they check the reception of calls or messages when the device does not ring or vibrate. This would be one of the central alarm bells for potential smartphone addiction.

Other symptoms that could reveal a smartphone addiction
It is believed that at least four symptoms or signs show that you have a smartphone addiction. The situation must be such that the person is using the phone excessively and problematically, causing significant harm to their life. The symptoms and signals are: Need to use the phone more and more, worry about using the smartphone, unsuccessful attempts to use the smartphone less, excessive use causing loss of sense of time, Excessive use causing problems at work or relationship problems, negative feelings when the phone has no network or does not work (anger, irritability, depression, rage…).

Addiction and nomophobia
Although smartphone addiction is not yet listed in the Manual of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition DSM-5), the study compares it with gambling addiction, which has more precise diagnostic criteria and is included in the manual. In turn, the term nomophobia, the uncontrolled fear of being disconnected from the mobile network, has been coined for some time.

The effects of addiction
In addition to physical problems (e.g., neck and vision problems), smartphone addiction can lead to sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and relationship problems.