Tell-Tale Signs of Smartphone Addiction

CEBU, Philippines — Modern technology has really changed people’s lifestyles. It is especially so in the area of how people communicate and interact with one another. The variety and capabilities of today’s communication gadgetry can blow the mind.

It’s true: the world has become a virtual village. Two people from different hemispheres now talk to each other like next-door neighbors. And any kind of information can already be accessed almost instantaneously on the internet.

And there’s the social media. Anyone with a social media account may now gain global exposure. Vice versa, anyone may now learn about the latest happenings in anyone’s life, like they’re close pals.

On the downside, the internet and all the other novelties that spring from it has brought about a new problem. It encourages everyone to be either a show-off or a snoop – or both. There’s an increasingly popular urge to attain celebrity status and to be abreast with how everyone else is doing to the last minute.

People can now hardly do without the very gadget that opens the world for them – the smartphone. It’s in not just a phone; this magical small computer can do almost anything with just one touch, much more thanmaking calls and sending texts. It’s an amazing gadget really, and one’s amazement of it easily becomes an addiction.

Any addiction is not good, for the very reason that it undermines a person’s sense of control, taking him away from the things that truly matter. But how does one determine if his or her amazement and curiosity over the smartphone already approaches addiction level, if it is not full-blown addiction yet?  Raven Ishak, at the website www.bustle.com, enumerates certain signs:

1. You're constantly checking your phone.While it's normal to check your phone every once in a while, it's another thing if you look at it every five seconds. Smartphone addicts cannot leave the gadget alone; they are checking it constantly. Sadly, they no longer pay attention to the people they are actually with, as they are so immersed in talking, texting, reading, and gaming on their phone.

2. Your partner is feeling neglected.The smartphone gets in the way of personal relationships. Spending quality time with one’s partner is far more important than looking at the phone and checking social media accounts. If one partner is on the phone too much,the other partner naturally feels neglected, jealous or suspicious. The partners no longer know what is going on in each other's life, as they're not making or taking the quality time to ask and listen to what is going on with them.

3. You're more interested in social media than talking with your friends.The reason why one hangs out with friends is because he enjoys their company. With the smartphone at hand, it's quite hard to carry a thoughtful conversation with anyone. It’s a mystery why one is more engrossed with what's happening with his phone than with what's going on in real life around him.

4. You don't communicate face-to-face as often as you used to.If person doesn't remember the last time he had a meaningful conversation with a loved one without looking at his phone, then he might be on his cellphone too much. Giving one’s undivided attention in a face-to-face conversation can make the other person feel special and heard. There’s no substitute for being wholly present, caring and engaging with others.

5. You're constantly comparing yourself with others.It can be hard not to compare oneself with others when he is constantly looking at perfectly curated images on his social media accounts. He may even feel sad if he only gets a certain amount of likes on his images, in which case he may feel like a failure. That’s often price he pays for constantly comparing with others.

6. Your life has become dull.It’s not rare to come upon a group of friends with nothing to talk about. Often, it’s because they're all on their phones, not experiencing life. An expert says, “They feel asleep in their lives because rather than living their own, they're watching others' every move.”

7. You stopped actively listening to others.When one is busy on the phone when in actual group conversation, he tends to multi-task. But all he contributes to the actual conversation are mere “uh-huh,” “umm” and such empty expressions, just to keep the conversation flowing.He’s not actually listening actively, although he knows that it's rude to scroll through his phone while someone is talking. If it’s necessary to check one’s phone, he shall properly excuse himself, check his phone and then put it away.

8. You're experiencing physical pain.Constantly being on the phone may cause one to break out (because the phone is that dirty) and injure his neck or ear. The neck or ear begins to hurt on the phone-dominant side, the side he predominantly uses to hold the phone.

9. You get anxious when you don't know where your phone is.If one feels anxious, irritable, overly preoccupied with their phone, very uncomfortable if he can't use it, or is away from his phone for short period of time, says a psychotherapist. These are signs that he may be addicted to his phone. If these symptoms occur on a regular basis, it might be time to put his phone away.

10. You fill quiet moments by checking your phone.If one fills up the quieter moments of life, or potentially intimate moments he has while in the presence of other people, with phone time, he might be using your phone too much. It's easy to feel anxious when one has nothing to do, but instead of reaching for his phone, one may opt for something completely different. For instance, reading a book or learning a new language.

11. You ignore people when you're on your phone.Ignoring the people one cares about to be with one’s phone is not a good idea. Giving others in the feeling that they don't exist or don't matter as much as one’s screen time on his phone can hurt his relationships. The smartphone is a great tool to have, so long as it doesn’t to negatively affect one’ssocial life.