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If you own a cell phone, you’ve probably forgotten to take it with you at some point. Do you panic and return to retrieve it, no matter how far you’ve gone? Do you shrug your shoulders and not give it a second thought? Do you keep going on your merry way, but are stressed until you return home to claim your phone?
Nomophobia is the fear of being without your mobile phone. Whether or not you can relate to this condition, nomophobia is on the rise. A recent survey of 1000 people in the UK conducted by SecureEnvoy found that 66% of the respondents feared being without their mobile phones, up from 53% the previous year. Women and younger people (ages 18-24) were the most likely to suffer from nomophobia, though men were more likely to own two mobile phones.
Symptoms of nomophobia include always having your phone on, sleeping with your phone nearby, and anxiety if you are without your phone.
As phones become “smarter”, they function as much more than phones. Smartphones can become a virtual Swiss Army knife, serving many purposes, including:
- music player
- calendar
- camera
- calculator
- clock
- video game player
- social media connector
- GPS
- search engine
- email server
- conversion table
- video player
- texting device
- phone
The study didn’t distinguish between those who owned a smartphone and those who owned a standard mobile phone, but my guess is that those who suffer from nomophobia are mostly those who own smartphones.
How do you feel about your phone? Is your mobile phone your constant companion? Do you become more stressed when you don’t have access to your mobile phone? Are you dependent on your smartphone to perform many functions in your life? Vote in today’s Wonder of Tech poll and let us know how you feel about your cell phone.
This YouTube video shows a study in which a participant, Will Cooke, agreed to give up his mobile phone for a week. The study, conducted by Lowri Davies, Catherine Williams and Joshua Trenchard for a university project, shows what happens to Will as he endured a week without his mobile phone.
If the symptoms of nomophobia seem disturbingly familiar to you, check out nomophobia.com for tips on dealing with the condition.
How important is your cell phone? Is it as necessary to you as your wallet or do you find yourself forgetting it when you leave the house? Let us know in the Comments section below!
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Check out my guest post at Start Your Novel: Is Tech the Villain of Your Story?
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* Nomophobia iPhone image by Geoff R (altered)
I don’t think I suffer from it Carolyn!
But yes, my kids sure do! Both of them can’t do without it, and its forever in their hands and they are always glued to it with SMS and other things with their friends.
I guess I am not that much into phones as yet, and the one I have is also used rarely, as I am mainly at home and we do have another connection which is used more. But I can well imagine everyone voting for the first point- as I do see them using it around all the time!
Thanks for the poll and for sharing 🙂
Hi Harleena, I’m glad you aren’t suffering from nomophobia. I think kids can be very susceptible to it, as the study showed younger people are more dependent on their phones. Younger people may not recall a time when they didn’t have their phone by their sides but older people remember life without a phone and they got along quite well without one.
Thanks for voting!
That’s really interesting. I never even knew that there was a word for it. Given that mobile phones are relatively new, someone must have actually sat down and invented it.
Anyway, I don’t suffer from it. I frequently forget my phone – and even when I remember I sometimes switch it off.
Hi Hamish, Yes, I imagine this is a fairly new affliction. I’m glad you haven’t suffered from nomophobia, Hamish. I thought it was interesting that the study was conducted in the UK and the YouTube university students are based in the UK as well. I don’t think we’re immune here in the US but perhaps nomophobia gets more attention in the UK.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Hamish!
Hey Carolyn,
I did actually, when I was in college I had this constant urge to hold on to my mobile all the time and if for a moment I misplaced it or just kept it somewhere I would panic like crazy.
I realized how bad it is when I saw that I was regularly carrying it to the bathroom and kept it by the mirror stand when bathing! It was a little scary how much I was addicted. It was then I decided that I had to let go. I started using shorter time duration. Like when I need to go to the grocery to pick a bottle of milk or something and it would hardly take me time, I left my phone behind. In the beginning I used to panic that I might get an important call from family and it might be urgent; but when I came back to no missed calls, I felt a sense of relief. And slowly shorter duration were extended to longer duration and now I can go hours without my mobile phone. Especially when I am out with family I tend to put in on silent and just keep it away.
I think it is one phobia we build for ourselves and we can work on it.
Hi Hajra, Wow, it sounds as if this was a big problem for you. You handled the situation well though by weaning yourself away from needing your cell phone all of the time.
It’s difficult because the need for a cell phone can be a real need. But you’re right, there are times when we can be away from our phones without consequences. Your example is a great model for others who want to become less dependent on their phones.
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us, Hajra! 🙂
I read this title earlier and I intended to go out and it reminded me to charge my phone. I put it on charge and then went without it! I don;t have a phobia about missing a call, I worry about the car breaking down and I don’t have my phone. Strangely enough, I was testing to see if my car was OK and so there was even more reason to carry my phone. I think the car is alright, I think the oil pressure dropped the other day and the lights stuck on for a while, nothing serious. I checked it over anyway!
My Neodigital Blog covers editing this week; my example was taken in very poor light. I was worried about my car too and so not very fussy when I took the photo. It’s Leap Day today and so that’s the subject of today’s blog. I’m posting to WordPress and azillionideas too. I want to do some just for the new site when I have more time. I have the email address working now but still have more plugins to sort out and the theme doesn’t work quite right with windows Live writer. I’ll get there eventually!
I bought more shares on the London Stock exchange today and so that will be the subject of a blog over the weekend. I also got a lot of page views last weekend from a link on Facebook because my blog was about the Black Country. I shall write another blog for local people, maybe local history. I’m still being featured on a local news site and so I need titles that local people will respond to. I’m making progress. I shall do a Facebook page soon. Do I do a separate Twitter account or change the name on the one i already have? You know so much more than me about Twitter. I must accept an invitation to join Pinterest too! 🙂
Hi MIke, Yes, you absolutely need to get on Pinterest. That site is custom-made for you, a great place to showcase your amazing photography. I’m certain your site will get a lot of traffic from Pinterest. Make sure to pin the Faerie photos you entered in the contest.
The link to your new site isn’t working. Is it live yet?
Yes, I think you should change your Twitter account name. I think once you move your blog the traffic will take off!
As I was typing this, I got a notice that you’re on Pinterest now. Congratulations!
I am not at all surprised Carolyn! As you probably know, I’m not one to get totally upset if I go out of the house without my phone. But I will admit, I rarely do because I have it sitting right by my desk so when I get up to leave, it goes with me.
I mainly use it for emergencies though. Like if I were to get stranded on the side of the road and I’m by myself, it’s not like you can walk to a corner store and use their pay phone anymore. I don’t use my cell phone for “chatting” like most people do so that’s not what it’s used for anyway.
I know that a lot of people though really freak out if they’ve lost it or it’s broke. So glad I’m not like that and I hate that people actually are.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. There I go, learning something new again.
Have a great day Carolyn!
~Adrienne
http:\\azillionideas.com should be working; maybe I did it wrong!
Hi Mike, It worked now. Perhaps it was my Internet connection? Very excited for your new site! 🙂
Hi Adrienne, I’m thinking you don’t mind too much if you leave home without your phone. It’s not the end of the world but some people act as if it is.
One day I left home all day without my phone. I got an urgent email that I needed to call someone right away. Believe it or not, I used my iPad to make a telephone call using Skype. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than nothing.
I’m glad you learned from this post, Adrienne! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. 🙂
Hey Carolyn,
This is quite an interesting poll here. I normally always have my cell phone with me, but I’m not quite addicted to it, and it would be okay if I left it behind sometimes. Though it’s a smartphone, I don’t use a lot of features and hence would not feel very incomplete without it.
In fact, on some past occasions I’ve got very anxious when my mother stepped out of the house without a cell phone, thinking we might not be able to contact her directly if she got into any trouble. I don’t know if this also classifies under Nomophobia.
Hi Sarah, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re right, cell phones help give us comfort that we are in touch with loved ones. I don’t think that’s nomophobia, rather, that’s being concerned that you can take care of a loved one. Cell phones can provide peace of mind that can be a wonderful solace. Very different from nomophobia.
Hi Carolyn,
I’m currently using a Blackberry, and to be honest with you the thought has actually crossed my mine to have it disconnected. Seriously. 😀 I rarely ever get phone calls, and when I do it all depends upon if I’m writing or not, whether it will get answered. I usually tell people to text me so I can be sure to listen for the call. I’ll leave in another room on purpose sometimes. Another reason I keep it turned on is because we cut down on cost and choose not to get a home phone. So I would say that this condition (thank goodness) isn’t one that I’m currently having issues with.
My laptop… totally different story. I’ve found myself not wanting to go out, because there’s so much that I have to get done and leaving would cut into my time to do it. 😀 So my partner literally has to convince me to steal away for a couple of hours to go shopping, go out for dinner or what have you. I’m sure there’s a medical condition for that. 🙂
Thanks for the info though… I know a few people that can surely benefit from reading this one. Let’s hope with my sharing it with them they get a “hint hint” moment. 😀
Great post!!
Hi Deeone, I wonder whether an iPhone or an iPad would be better for you. You could then have more use than your Blackberry and feel better about being away from your computer.
But I also don’t want you to be afflicted with nomophobia. No need to trade nolaptopphobia (<= my invented word) for nomophobia! :-S
I need to have the cellphone with me, because i look after my elders. Also, i think without it, is difficult to have relations in these days. But if one day i forget, it depends if i am expecting something relevant or not. I certainly, anyway, mis old days, but, who knows what is better or worse.
Warmly,
Ángel Martorell Criado.
Hi Angel, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re right, when you’re dealing with a family situation or other urgent situation, a cell phone can be vital. Just knowing you’re connected can bring peace of mind to you and to the people who might need to reach you.
The old days might seem better, but if you’re ever stranded on the side of the road with a broken down car, a cell phone seems like the greatest invention in history.
Carolyn, aloha. While I know some people “panic” if they do not have their cell phones, I had no idea the number was so high.
Since you know my history, you know that I am not afflicted with nomophobia. Thanks heavens because I am not sure there is a “cure” for it. Or, it would probably be an “unpleasant” cure like disciplining yourself not to use it all the time or take it everywhere.
Again, this will be an itneresting thread to follow. Already I am surprised by the survey results. Until later, aloha. Janet
Hi Janet, I can’t help but be surprised by poll results. I love polls, they give me an insight into my readers and it’s always revealing. I had a hunch that nomophobia was more a condition of smartphone owners and the results so far seem to show that is the case.
When you get your iPhone, Janet, it will be interesting to see whether you feel the need for your cell phone more than you do now.
Hi Carolyn,
This is the first time I have seen the word, and I don’t think that I suffer from it. I sort of miss my iPhone when it’s not with me, but that’s just the first minutes, until I realize that it’s nothing I can do about it 🙂
The thing is, that with my iPhone, I feel that my friends are with me all the time, and that I can take notes and do whatever I want to 🙂
Hi Jens, I wouldn’t think of you as being in danger of having homophobia. Anyone who can live in a cabin by a lake for a month without Internet is probably immune from nomophobia! 🙂
Hi Carolyn
It was so great to read this post as I never knew there was an official term for it. I used to be very attached to my phone….but I have to say since the web has developed so much my macbook has taken it’s place! I think I was 12 when I get my first mobile phone so it became a big part of my life as a teenager. Maybe that could explain why some people get very anxious about it.
I’ve put commentluv on my website; I’m checking to see if it works. I noticed you changed your user name on Twitter; smart move. I can’t have azillionideas and so I’m considering azillionideas_com. 🙂
Hi Mike, Yes, it took me a while to switch over to @wonderoftech on Twitter, but the switch has gone well. CommentLuv is an amazing plugin. It really helps encourage other bloggers to leave comments on your blog.
I definitely turn my phone off at night – so I know I can function without it. And I put it away during meetings. But the first thing I do when I wake up, and when I come out of the meeting, is check for voice mail and messages. Now…in my defence…I have five kids so often I just want to make sure that they haven’t been trying to reach me. Or at least that’s what I tell myself :-). Really, I’m just scrambling to see if it’s my turn in Words WIth Friends.
Hi Ruth, Good point, there are many reasons why we feel so connected to our phones. We see them as an essential lifeline to our loved ones. But they’re also a fun entertainment device when we need a little break! 🙂
It would be nice if my husband suffered from this – then maybe we could reach him! I often remind him to turn on the cell phone so we can call just in case.
I do like being online (and I’m sure I have some addictive qualities there) – but I don’t need my smartphone for that.
Hi Leora, Great point. I don’t know how to encourage someone to get nomophobia so we could always get in touch with him!
A smartphone does help you stay connected to the Internet when you are away from the computer which is where I think a lot of nomophobia comes from.
Maybe I am nomophobic after all! I just went out to the shops and got into a panic because I left my cell at home. I had to go back and get it! I felt like I would miss a really important call. Maybe reading this post has made me more nomophobic! How ironic! 🙂
Hi Matt, If you’re expecting an important call, such as one from a potential employer or a wife who is in her third trimester of pregnancy, then it can be very unnerving to leave a phone behind. But if you feel that way in everyday life, that certainly could be a symptom of nomophobia.
I don’t think this article caused your nomophobia, but you’re probably more aware of the issue because of it. 🙂
Oh my goodness. I didn’t know there was a name for such a thing yet – but I can see how this is a serious issue for some.
I do not watch much TV, Carolyn, but I did recently see a show about a young woman who is so “addicted” to texting on her smartphone that she has completely wrecked her hands and wrists. – So much to the point that she requires a relatively invasive surgical procedure to correct the problem.
Shocking!
As a society, it appears to me we have developed some rather strong fetishes which are being encouraged everywhere we turn. One of those fetishes is mobile devices and the other is the voyeurism thing where people are obsessed with the lives of others.
I think these 2 play into one another in some fascinating ways, especially nowadays, thanks to smart phones and social media!
Now, having said that, I admit that I get a little “pang” if I realize I have left without my phone, but only in specific circumstances. One of those circumstances is if I’m alone and driving in some inclement weather, or something along those lines.
Other than that, I’m generally on the phone enough during the week to want to be away from it! 🙂
I feel bad for people who are developing phobias over their obsession with electronics and being constantly “wired in.” It seems to be a real problem that’s getting bigger!
Great post!
Cat
Not sure I fit into the voting categories. I guess I am “in between” I probably do and I don’t know. When I have my phone around, I am “hooked” on it. But I have left home without it, and not turned around to get it. I’ve been a bit anxious when this has happened, but not enough to make me go back and get it. Maybe I’m “situation-based” nomophobic? lol 8->