Phone Addition in the U.S.
47% of Americans admit they’re addicted to their phones.
The average American checks their smartphone 352 times day.
Abstract
It’s okay to own a technology, what is not okay is to be owned by technology. You own your phone, your phone doesn’t own you. Phone addiction is the obsessive use of a smartphone. Phone Addiction refers to a disorder because it controls the brain of the addicts. Every cell phone user is at the risk of developing addiction to their device; which can have a serious impact on your overall mental health. I think raising awareness helps people to recognize the signs of phone addiction and take steps to manage their usage in a healthier way. Phone Addiction is mainly caused by the lack of role models in almost half households in the U.S. If kids and teens don’t have positive examples of healthy phone usage, it’s easy for them to develop phone addiction. The basic outcome of Phone Addiction is sleep deficit which has several consequences like fatigue, depression, mood swings, slow reactions, mental breakdown, as far as suicide. To help eliminate phone addiction, right from childhood, parents should enforce proper phone engagement to their kids. Parents should not get addicted to their phones for the sake of their children. Instead of using phones excessively, let’s replace our smartphone use with healthier activities and change phone settings to limit phone use. I will be making a Summer Suggestion List with things to do around Chicago that don’t need phones in order to turn off phones at certain times of the day.
Problems
Phone addiction is the obsessive use of a smartphone. The behavioral addiction is often dubbed as “nomophobia” or the fear of being without mobile device. There are over 310 million smartphone users in the U.S. The rise in phone use seems like a natural necessity for modern life, however, it can also cause concern and negative consequences.
Note; Half of the country’s population are addicted to their phones as at today.
Causes
Environmental Influence
Environmental influence refers to the external factor that can affect an individual’s behavior, thoughts and feelings. A child grows up looking up to his parents and other adults in the family and if they are used to seeing people on their phones, they may also develop phone addiction. Phone Addiction is mainly caused by the lack of role models in almost half households in the U.S. If kids and teens don’t have positive examples of healthy phone usage, it’s easy for them to develop phone addiction.
Escapism
Escapism is like when you try to avoid reality or difficult solutions by immersing yourself in distractions like excessive phone use, watching shows, e.t.c. Some people use phones excessively as a way to escape from real-life stress, boredom, or problems. People use phones to avoid dealings with stress or difficult situations; taking a break from reality.
Social Pressure
Social pressure influences your phone habits. Social media and messaging apps create a sense of obligation to constantly check for updates and respond to notifications. The constant need to be connected can lead to excessive phone use.
Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO)
FOMO or fear of missing out causes phone addiction. Many people feel anxious about missing out on social events or important information if they are not constantly connected. The feeling you get when you see others having fun or doing exciting things without you, you won’t want to be odd or different and you will have to join them.
Reward System
The reward system in our brain plays a significant role in phone addiction. The notifications, likes, and messages we receive on our phones trigger the brain’s reward system, leading to addictive behaviors to seek more of these rewards. The reward system in our brains respond to pleasurable experiencing a feel-good chemical.
Effects
Sleep Deficit
A sleep deficit is the difference between the amount of sleep someone needs and the amount they actually get. Due to the addiction of phones, they aren’t getting enough sleep because while they are supposed to be asleep, they rather press phones. It has many potential consequences which include fatigue, mood swings, slow reactions, depression, mental breakdown, as far as suicide.
Lower Concentration
It is challenging for phone addicts to focus on tasks or conversations. Excess mobile phone usage limits the cognitive ability of the user so that they are not able to focus on daily routine activities, which leads to negative psychological well-being. Frequent phone users do experience shorter attention spans and greater impulsivity.
Loneliness
When it comes to phone addiction, loneliness can play a role. Excessive smartphone usage can negatively impact real human connections and lead to loneliness. When we feel lonely, we may turn to our phones as a way to escape those feelings and seek connection.
Stress & Anxiety
When we are stressed or anxious, we may turn to our phones as a way to distract ourselves or seek temporary relief. However, excessive phone use can actually worsen the feelings in the long run. The overuse of smartphones creates a psychological dependency, and separation from the device will create anxiety. The act of checking a phone frequently can trigger a stress response.
Poor Grades
Excessive phone use can negatively impact academic performance. Individuals with high levels of smartphone addiction have a higher probability of procrastination and consequently, lower academic performance. When we spend excessive time on our phones, it distracts us from studying, completing assignments, or paying attention in class.
Solution
Parents
Through parental app control, parents can monitor their children so as not to get addicted to their phones. Parents are role models and they should engage proper phone engagement to their kids. Children have the ability to imitate; parents should not get addicted to their phone for the sake of their children.
Meta (app developers)
On Meta Quest App, one can set time limits when using the app. Individuals can set timers to limit the time they spend on Facebook, Instagram, and other apps so as not to get addicted to their phones. Though not all are faithful to the timers they set when using their phone but small steps in the right direction can make a big difference.
Professional Therapist
Therapy is really effective in treating phone addiction. The therapist works with you to address excessive cell phone use that could cause mental disorders. Therapy helps individuals by addressing the underlying psychological issues that contribute to their excessive phone use.
Health-care Providers
Health-care Providers play a crucial role in addressing phone addiction. The health-care providers educate patients and offer support programs against the effects of phone addiction. Whenever the health-care providers create awareness about the dangers of phone addiction, we all will believe because they are always right and we got to take care of our mind and body.
Phone Settings
Phone settings can be helpful in curbing phone addiction. Things like screen time limits, app restrictions, focus mode, mute notifications, e.t.c. help eradicate phone addiction. These settings can help create healthier phone habits and reduce the urge to constantly check your device.
How I Can Help
Replace your smartphone use with healthier activities with which i will be making a “Summer Suggestion List” of things to do during summer.
Curb your fear of missing out. I will also be making a social media post, creating awareness about phone addiction, getting the whole USA citizens involved and making a real impact.
Set goals for when you can use your smartphone. By setting goals for the time you spend on your phone, you’re creating a sense of accountability. I will definitely make a mini-poster to educate Americans about the negative impacts of phone addiction.
Turn off your phone at certain times of the day. Phone addicts should consider turning off their phones or at least putting them on silent mode to create a break from constant notifications and distractions.
Refrences
https://explodingtopics.com/blog/smartphone-addiction-stats
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/10858514-it-is-okay-to-own-a-technology-what-is-not
https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/phone-addiction/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8583015/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/overlooked-consequence-phone-use-self-escapism-werner-schouten
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11004883/
https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-023-01376-z#:~:text=It%20is%20also%20found%20a,to%20trigger%20mobile%20phone%20addiction.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460321002008
https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/phone-addiction/
How to Stop Mobile Phone Addiction of the Child
https://www.familyaddictionspecialist.com/blog/bombshell-facebook-investigation-and-what-it-says-about-digital-addiction
https://www.psychguides.com/behavioral-disorders/smart-phone-addiction/
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
How to Kill Your Phone Addiction with 4 Settings, 1 Hair Band, and a Post-It Note
https://cosmotogether.com/blogs/news/9-ways-to-help-break-a-phone-addiction
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/addictions/smartphone-addiction.htm