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Phone addiction has not been officially recognized by the Diagnostic Statistical Manual used by mental health professionals. However, in no way is it less serious or pervasive than other addictions. Before reading on, can you pause for a moment and think about the time you spent on your phone in the last two hours? What about the last 24 hours? What about the last week?
Like the majority of the American population, if you tend to spend an alarming number of hours on your devices, you may have become a victim of a behavioral addiction. The increased dependence on our phones is not an immediate change, but rather something that has been a slow, dreadful movement that has pulled in millions of individuals.
Psychological Effects of Cell Phone Addiction
Smart phones have become integral to who we are today. It is indeed a very useful tool that not only helps us communicate, but also connect with everyone around the world. Mental health research is now identifying the links between deterioration of well-being and phone addiction.
Since we don't have a diagnostic criteria, it can be difficult to objectively define how many hours and which behavioral patterns would qualify as an addiction. However, you have to make your own decision and take a call. You can do this by considering the following consequences:
1) Excessive anxiety
With every sound that your phone makes, your head is likely to go in that direction. If you miss a call, you may experience worries. If no one calls, you may again experience a different set of worries.
Meanwhile, if you receive too many messages and calls, you may be victim to worrisome thoughts as well. We seem to have become hyper alert to our devices. Unfortunately, our fight-and-flight response now prepares for missed phone calls compared to real dangers in the environment.
2) Loneliness
Screen time severely impacts mental health. This is possibly the most counter-intuitive consequence of phone use. It was ideally developed to connect us to others. Why, then, do most of us experience feelings of loneliness and inadequacy? Social media can be a major trigger for these feelings, reminding us of the things that we might be potentially missing on.
3) Sleep disturbances
Much research has been conducted on the connection between blue light and sleep disturbances. The mere exposure of a light can lead to a disturbed night of sleeplessness. A lot of individuals with sleep disorders like insomnia also report excessive usage of phones while they are not able to sleep.
4) Emotional distance
The excessive use of phones has led to a disconnect. People choose to keep their cameras off on video calls, prefer remote work, and distance themselves from others. The "reel" has become more accessible than the real.
How Do We Stop Phone Addiction?
Some of you may be reading this on a phone and wondering if existing without phones is even a viable option. Putting a pause on your device use can be challenging for everyone in this day and age.
However, it is important to remember that we control the phone and not the other way around. The following is a three-step action plan that you can choose to implement to curb phone addiction:
1) Recognize the problem
The first step is to identify the signs and symptoms of phone addiction. Think about the number of hours you spend on your phone, the emotional consequences of it, and if it is impacting your everyday functioning. Recognition comes prior to cure. While recognizing this, also note that there are many benefits of replacing screen time with other exercises.
2) Re-define
In managing phone addiction, try to define SMART goals. Is your goal to reducing screen time specific? How will you measure your progress? Is it achievable? Can it be done realistically? Finally, can you specify a timeline to implement this goal? We often set unachievable and unrealistic goals, which further demotivate us.
3) Regulate
Regulating phone addiction is not easy. The first step is setting a device free zone and time. Taking out some time off from your phone can be initially uncomfortable, but with time, you will start feeling unchained. Think of activites that don't necessarily involve engaging with your phone. Start with reducing screen time, even if it is for two minutes in the beginning.
These might be some reasons that you may choose to drop your phone tonight, but the research doesn't stop here. The psychological effects of excessive screen time is way too serious for us to comprehend today. If you are someone who is struggling with phone addiction, it is a good idea to reach out for support. If therapy seems like a huge step, try reaching out to friends and family first.
Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.
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