Smartphone Addiction- Are You A Victim Of This?

 Are you more present in the virtual world at the expense of the real world?

According to the International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 95 per cent of children in India live in homes with a mobile phone and 73 per cent of Indian children are mobile phone users.

A recent study has found that on an average collage students in India use their smartphones 150 times a day! Most of the usage is for non-calling purposes using smartphones. This has resulted in a spike in cases of smartphone addiction. Most children and young adults use their phones to play highly addictive games like the blue whale, Pub G etc or for social media.

Addiction is considered by WHO (World Health Organization) as dependence, as the continuous use of something for the sake of relief, comfort, or stimulation, which often causes cravings when it is absent. In cities like Amritsar and Prayagraj mobile phone detox centres have been formed to help treat such cases of addiction and I envision that many more are likely to follow.

According to my findings, excessive smartphone use creates the following issues:

1. It can create eye strain and tiredness – Constant usage of electronic devices like smartphones are known to create eye strain, which can also cause headaches and tiredness.

2. It increases stress levels in the user- Research has found links in constant usage of smartphones and the effect it has on our moods. Changes in the virtual world can directly alter a person’s mental frame in the real world. Reading a comment someone has made about the person online can deeply affect the person in real life. Just the fact that a friend has not responded to a text or online message can negatively affect a person’s mood.

3. Increases loneliness and depression- Social isolation in the virtual world can be very painful. A number of friends a person has on Facebook or the number of followers on Instagram is considered to form a benchmark of how popular the person is in real life! This can cause a person to feel depressed if he/she does not have too many friends on social media. On the other end of the spectrum, a person can feel extremely lonely even if they have a lot of friends on social www.mindfactory.co.in media. Virtual friends can never replace or compensate for friends in real life. Hence, I always encourage people to meet face-to-face and to have a real conversation devoid of WhatsApp chats and face time.

4. Encourages self-absorption – Constant smartphone use compels a person to become almost fully absorbed in the virtual world. They tend to become irritated and snappy in the real world and see it as a source of distraction from their time spent in the virtual world.

5. Trouble completing tasks – With the invent of virtual accounts like facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp etc, users are often multi-tasking and constantly shifting between the accounts. At times multiple chat windows are open and the user is pre-occupied in conversations between them. This can reduce a persons attention span and make them more restless. They will find themselves doing ten things at a time without fully focusing on one thing and completing a task. The urge to go back to conversations in the virtual world often impacts a person’s performance in the real world and their concentration levels.

6. Isolation from family and friends – Many children and young adults during social gatherings or outings with their family tend to be absorbed in their smartphones rather than enjoying quality time with their friends and family members. This is not only considered rude but, can seriously damage relationships.

7. Having a fear of missing out – Not being updated on the recent events in another person’s life can create havoc in a person. They feel compelled to keep checking their messages in order to stay updated. 8. Feeling of dread, anxiety, or panic if you leave your smartphone at homeThe deep feeling of loss and not being able to perform at a person’s best without a mobile phone is a clear indication of being addicted to the device. So what can be done to prevent or restrict the problem?

Here are ten tips which I have found to be effective in overcoming mobile phone addiction: