How do we know if we are addicted to our cell phone?

Warning signs that allow us to detect a dependency problem towards our smartphone.

Cell phone addiction is a reality that is more common than we think; we have normalized the use of this electronic device so much that we may not be aware that we are starting to depend on it and We spend a good part of the day "glued" to the screen without really needing it..

Statistics show that every year the average number of hours dedicated to the cell phone increases and there is a higher percentage of the population addicted to it. It is for this reason that it will be necessary to monitor and control the use we make of the smartphone, since the symptoms that can generate are similar to those that create any other addiction such as dependence, tolerance or withdrawal, generating discomfort and loss of functionality in the subject.

In this way, there are some sensations or behaviors that can signal that our use of the cell phone is or is starting to become worrying. In case we feel that we can no longer control it, it is advisable to ask for professional help; we must not play down the importance of this kind of problem, because it can be just as serious as other disorders.

In this article you will find the guidelines and key ideas about how to know if you are a person addicted to your cell phone..

What do we mean by cell phone addiction?

The addiction to the mobile is an inordinate dependence on the use of the cell phone, thus creating a behavioral dynamic that generates great discomfort if we cannot use this electronic device for a few hours.. As with substance abuse addiction, in this psychological phenomenon there will be experiences such as tolerance, which consists, in this case, of the need to use the cell phone for longer and longer periods of time; withdrawal, in which after repeated use of the cell phone, adverse symptoms and discomfort appear if it cannot be accessed; and dependence, which consists of the need to continue using the cell phone.

Overlapping with all these psychological phenomena, it is common for nomophobia to appear, which consists of the fear of missing important events that may be happening in the "digital world" to which we have access through the smartphone.

Some statistics.

In Spain, in 2020 the average number of hours per day that the population spends using the cell phone was 4 hoursThis is an increase of one hour compared to two years ago. Similarly, 22% of the population acknowledged using their cell phones for more than 5 hours a day, and 20.8% said they could not look away from their phones for 1 hour.

The prevalence in 2020 indicated that in the general Spanish population, approximately 25% of subjects between 18 and 65 years of age consider themselves to be addicted to cell phones, and this figure almost doubles if we only consider the population between 18 and 24 years of age, with 44% and an average of 6 hours and 43 minutes of daily use.

Given the percentages observed and the perceived growing trend, the negative consequences that may arise are worrying.This behavioral dynamic does not allow the subject to disconnect mentally. In addition, one of the most outstanding characteristics of human beings is also affected: socialization. Half of the population expresses that they have more contact with their friends through their smartphone than face to face.

How do you know if you have developed a cell phone addiction?

We know that the cell phone gives us facilities and has positive functions, but misuse or excessive use can have a negative impact on our mental health. If we almost never disconnect from the technologies, we lose the opportunity to relate in person with our friends, and and we end up becoming very dependent and unwell when we cannot use the phone.. We have the feeling of not being able to live without it.

Below we will see some signs and behaviors that can serve as alerts to realize that your use of the cell phone is being excessive and may have or derive in short in an addiction.

1. You feel a loss of control over the use of your cell phone.

People with cell phone addiction feel an irremediable need to use their cell phone. They feel that they they lose control and cannot avoid using it. Thus we see that the need is related to dependence, the subject feels that he/she needs to use the cell phone and cannot avoid it.

In this case we realize that we cannot control the behavior of using the cell phone, we feel almost that it becomes the one who controls us, how we are, what things we stop doing...

2. You make excessive use of your smartphone

As we have already seen, the average daily hours of use of the mobile is high. A way that can help us to identify if we are really making an excessive use is evaluate if for this reason we are missing or we stop making plans with other people or we do not go to important eventsIf we do, we can't avoid spending most of the time with our cell phone in our hand. That is, we realize that there is a loss of commitment and responsibility with our social circle.

3. You are always on your cell phone

We realize that we always have part of our attention focused on our cell phone.If we are not looking at it, we are aware of whether it rings or vibrates, so we are constantly checking if we have been spoken to or if there is anything new on social networks.

4. You always have your cell phone close by

In this case the cell phone becomes an extension of us, like another part of our body.Wherever we go, the device goes, and there cannot be a situation in which we do not have our cell phone close and within our reach. A typical behavior is the need to have the cell phone next to us, even when we are eating.

5. It is the first and last thing you look at when you wake up and when you go to sleep.

For many people it is already a routine to check their cell phone before waking up and just before going to sleep.. Leaving aside the fact that this nightly routine is not the most recommended, it may be a sign that we have a somewhat problematic behavior with the use of the cell phone.

It should also be noted that in a study done in Spain it was observed that 9% of the population wakes up at night to look at the cell phone, being this also a worrying behavior that indicates that there may be an addiction.

6. Your use of the device has increased (and not because of work or other responsibilities).

We know that nowadays we use our cell phones more frequently during the day and that we spend more hours we dedicate more hours to itWe know that we now use our cell phones more frequently during the day and that we spend more hours on them, i.e. the previous usage time is no longer sufficient and we need to increase it.

7. Feeling of discomfort, irritability, frustration or tension when we cannot use it.

It is common that when it is impossible to use the cell phone because, for example, we have run out of battery, our mood worsens and we become grumpy. and we are grumpy and anxious about not being able to use it.. In this case we see that the symptoms that appear are typically linked to those presented during abstinence when we stop consuming what causes us addiction.

8. You have the feeling that it rings or vibrates when it really doesn't.

With this sign we are not referring to an auditory hallucination, but rather that is more closely linked to the degree of stress and attention focused on the cell phone. That is, when thinking continuously about the cell phone, being aware of it, any sound or vibration sensation is interpreted as something related to our smartphone.

9. You use it even when you shouldn't

You risk looking at it in situations where it is not allowed, when you shouldn't do it, and you may be called attention to it or even be called out.You risk looking at it in situations where it is not allowed, when you shouldn't, and you may get attention or there may be other negative consequences. An example of this behavior would be to use the smartphone when we are working or attending classes at school or university.

10. There is an irrational fear of not being able to use it.

Addiction to the cell phone is also often linked to the presence of anxiety at the experience of not being able to use this device.. Thus, for example, we have an excessive fear of running out of battery or leaving our cell phone at home, so it will be common to carry a charger with us or if we leave our cell phone at home, even if our outing lasts only a short time, we will go back to look for it.

11. When you try to reduce the use, you fall back on it again

Another behavior that also appears habitually in addictions are attempts to quit the habit associated with the dependence without success.For this reason, if we are addicted to cell phones, we will probably suffer frequent "relapses".

How is it treated in therapy?

Like any addictive behavior, cell phone addiction can be treated with psychotherapy.. Going to the psychologist will work to increase the subject's self-confidence, train social and self-control skills in which the subject may be lacking, and help the subject to find other activities that he/she likes and are physically and psychologically healthy. In addition, in the case of nomophobia, techniques for the reduction of distress will be used, so that the use of the cell phone decreases and is controlled.