Research Shows That Smartphone Addiction Is As Dreadful As Drug Abuse

Do you know that  62 percent of Americans check their smartphones more than 160 times per day? And a whopping 76.5 percent of people consider themselves addicted to their smartphones.

Smartphone addiction is getting worse every day. People are getting more attached to their mobile devices. As a matter of fact, one in four people cannot do without checking their smartphones every thirty minutes. Even 91 percent of Gen-Ys take their smartphones with them to the bathroom.

"It's hard to think of any tool, any instrument, any object in history with which so many developed so close a relationship so quickly as we have with our phones,"

Time Magazine's Deputy Managing Editor Nancy Gibbs wrote in an article published in Time's recent Wireless Issue.

"Only money comes close - always at hand, don't leave home without it. But most of us don't take a wallet to bed with us," she added, noting that a smartphone "can replace your wallet now anyway."

The dependence on smartphones and other mobile devices is beginning to have physical and mental effects just like drug abuse. According to a Baylor University study, it can actually more dreadful than drug abuse and alcohol for some. 

Good old days, people would grab a newspaper or make a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. Now, the first thing people do is to check their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for new messages or posts as soon as they wake up in the morning. Someone once said that “people begin to chat with their smartphones as soon as they open one eye in the morning, without even confirming if they can walk” Lol. 

Yubo addiction is a condition in which a person engages in the use of a substance or in a behavior for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeatedly pursue the behavior despite detrimental consequences. Addiction may involve the use of substances such as alcohol, inhalants, opioids, cocaine, nicotine, and others, or behaviors such as gambling, smartphone addiction, etc. 

Apparently, there’s much more to addiction than just the stimulation of certain brain regions and the release of dopamine. However, it appears that behavioral addictions, like smartphone addiction, work in a manner that is similar to that of drug abuse. They share key neurobiological features and have an increased likelihood of being accompanied by mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety or other pre-existing problems.

Many times, people with addictive behaviors may be aware of their problem, but be unable to stop it even if they want to. However, a number of effective treatments to overcome addiction are available and individuals can achieve improved physical, psychological, and social functioning. 

Truthfully, smartphones make life smarter and better for us and it has its benefits in our everyday life, however, when we find ourselves incessantly checking our smartphones unnecessarily or we realize we cannot do without them for just a short period of time, something is clearly wrong!

“While there is nothing inherently addictive about smartphones themselves, the true stimulants of our addiction to these smart devices are the hyper-social environments they provide. Smartphones make it possible for us to carry extremely large social environments in our pockets and purses,”  says Sophia C, social media expert and SEO services provider.

Thanks to the likes of Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and others. 

Smartphones are a form of digital drugs. Brain imaging research shows that they affect the brain’s frontal cortex — which controls executive functioning, including impulse control — in exactly the same way that cocaine does.” 

Smartphone Separation Anxiety (Nomophobia):

Smartphone separation anxiety is set to become an increasingly widespread problem, researchers say.

If you’ve ever misplaced your phone, you may have experienced a mild state of panic until it’s been found. A study by GeekWire reveals that when a smartphone addict is separated from his phone, he becomes dumber, and raises his heart rate and blood pressure.

The survey found that separation anxiety is indeed real. As a matter of fact, 31 percent feel regular anxiety at any point when separated from their smartphone and 60 percent reported experiencing occasional stress when their smartphone is off or out of reach. 

Feeling Of Isolation:

The research conducted at the San Francisco State University, which was published in the science journal NeuroRegulation, notes that the feeling of isolation is partly because smartphones have replaced interpersonal communication to a great extent. This prohibits users from effectively using body language and other forms of expression in conversations, leading to a feeling of dissatisfaction.

By Line:

Your smartphone has both advantages and disadvantages. However, getting addicted to your smartphones can cause different kinds of problems; physical problems, social problems, mental problems, and even financial problems (unnecessary data budgeting). It all depends on how we use it. You can use it like a smart person to make life smarter and better for you or you can let it drive you into addiction. 

Smartphone users are hereby advised to take charge of their devices and not the other way round.