In today’s world it’s pretty hard to find someone without a Smartphone. We live in a world where your device is in your hand multiple times a day and we always seem to be connected to social media, wifi, networks and technology.
Whilst the cell phone started out as a humble voice communication tool, it’s quickly turned into a device that can start running our life and unfortunately start ruining our life.
Mobile phone addiction is a hard thing to quantify as there are still studies going on and the technology hasn’t been around long enough to get conclusive data about what’s going to happen with the new generation of digital natives and the effects of mobile and social media addiction.
This being said, it will depend on how it affects the individual. Many people can have heavy social media and mobile usage and it’s not an issue, others may find that it’s starting to rule them and they’re blindly becoming a slave to their device.
If you’re worried about yourself or a loved one that you think could be addicted to their mobile phone here’s a list of mobile addiction symptoms you might want to look out for.
1. Using a mobile at the dinner table
There's nothing worse than sitting down for a nice dinner with family or friends and having someone with their head stuck in their mobile phone. Not only does this show a lack of respect, it also means that person is missing out on parts of the conversation.
Hint - A great idea I’ve seen in restaurants before is that everyone stacks their mobile phones on top of each other. If someone checks it whilst dinner is happening, that person has to pay the bill. This could be translated over to the dinner table at home, with the addicted individual that checks their phone doing the dishes.
2. Getting a buzz out of new notifications
Do you find yourself or see someone else getting a buzz out of every new notification? Does their mobile phone never ever have unread messages?
This feeling of satisfaction is a leftover from our evolutionary past in that when dopamine kicks into our brains we try to seek our pleasures (this is why humans love sex, good food, drugs and alcohol, etc). This is an essential behaviour for survival as it makes us curious and prompts us to seek and find new ways to help us feel pleasure.
Anticipating and waiting for a text or notification can send our brain's dopamine levels into overdrive, then when we finally get that message or text we’ve been so anxiously waiting for, opioids start kicking in. This is the system that helps you to feel satisfied when you finally get something you’re waiting for.
This can create what’s called a dopamine loop where you’re constantly seeking and liking in a loop to satisfy your brain’s need. There has even been research to suggest that smaller pieces of information can leave us unsatiated and wanting more. This is why tweets and text that only cover 140 characters etc are so easy to find attractive.
Hint - Kick this habit by turning off your instant notifications. Check your phone on your terms and help to kick the addictive behaviour of checking your phone every time it pings.
3. You look at messages or check Facebook when driving
Here in Australia it’s illegal to use your phone when you’re driving, however this doesn’t stop people from checking, typing on and using their phone when driving. There’s been many a time where personally I’ve been in traffic and look over or in my rear-vision mirror and see someone using their phone whilst driving.
I don’t need to tell you that not only are you putting yourself and your car at risk, it’s putting other drivers at risk. Whilst using a mobile phone while driving isn’t the biggest cause of accidents it’s more about giving yourself a break from your phone while you drive a two ton hunk of metal around at 60kms per hour.
Hint - Turn your phone on silent when driving, or hook it up to your hands free.
4. Checking your mobile phone even if there’s no noise
Again this comes back to your brain wanting another hit of dopamine. If you understand what your brain is doing you have a better chance of changing its behaviour. Kicking a mobile addiction isn’t just about putting your phone down, it’s about understanding why you’re like the way you are and changing your habits and behaviours like I did with my 30 day challenge.
5. Using a phone on the toilet
OK... this is just eeew. I talked about using my phone on the toilet on day 12 of my 30 day hiatus from social media and my phone. Not only is it gross but it keep you in the dunny for much longer than you need to. This can be a recipe for hemorrhoids if you do it too often.
6. A compulsion to check your phone constantly
Do you find it difficult to not check your phone? Is there a little voice in your head telling you to check your phone? Do you find yourself absently picking up your phone and checking messages even though you know nothing is there or you just checked it 5 mins ago?
Again this is your dopamine loop kicking in and your brain always seeking out pleasure.
Hint - Read up and do some meditation on being present and aware. This will help you realise that always seeking pleasure and avoiding pain isn’t going to necessarily give you a satisfying life.
7. Hearing a notification or text message and not being able to not check your mobile
If you feel a compulsion to check your phone every… single… time it beeps this could be a sign of addiction. If you find it’s getting in the way of your work, schoolwork, housework or whatever then you may find it’s becoming an issue for you.
Don’t end up like these people.
8. Texting whilst having sex
I haven’t personally done this but there’s a ton of stories on the net about it. Stands to reason that if you have to check your phone when you’re having sex, you’re doing it wrong!
9. You take your device in the shower
With the advent of mobile devices becoming splash proof and water-resistant it’s likely that people will want to take their phones into environments we would never have planned previously. If you have a waterproof case and take your phone into the shower with you, again, you’re doing it wrong!
10. Freaking the f4ck out if you can‘t find your mobile
What are the few things we freak out about if you can’t find. Your kid in a busy shopping centre? Your car keys when you’re running late?
If you freak out when you can’t find your phone that tells us that you have a lot invested into that little rectangle of circuits and glass. If you’re dependant on something you will likely miss it if it’s gone. That’s always a sign of addiction.
11. You keep your phone close to you all the time
Do you always know where your phone is? When’s the last time you had to walk around house because you left your phone in a different room without realising it? If your answer is never there’s a good chance you always have your mobile in your pocket ready for any type of addictive behaviour to be satisfied.
12. You feel phantom vibrations or ring tones
Do you ever feel your phone vibrate, take it out of your pocket and there’s nothing new? You could have sworn that you felt your phone buzz… but the evidence is on your very blank screen with no notifications. There’s actually a term for this and it’s called phantom vibration syndrome.
There’s little research into this phenomenon at this stage put it’s a fair bet that if you turn your damn notifications off you will have no reason to feel that buzz in your pockets again.
13. Looking at your screen when people are talking to you
This is one of my personal pet peeves. I understand that when you’re concentrating on something and someone is talking to you it can be a distraction, but there’s something different about being on a mobile. The bright screen and constant new info keeps your eyes on the screen for longer and when you’re talking about a mobile addiction you tend to see other interactions as a distraction to your brain getting what it wants (remember that dopamine feedback loop?)
If you’re constantly on your phone, there’s a good chance that other interactions are seen as an interruption to you getting what you want.
Hint - Be polite and turn your phone off when people are talking to you. That Facebook status can wait and I’m sure little Bobby isn’t going to die if you don’t like his post for another 5 mins… the person in front of you is real and worth more than any fake Facebook posts. Don’t get sucked into the trap of interacting with your screen more than you do with real people.
14. It’s the first and last thing you check each day
If you check your phone first thing in the morning take a look at my blog post ‘Don't pick up your mobile first thing in the morning’ to get some ideas about what to do first thing in the morning.
15. You use your phone when you’re bored, angry, sad or tired
If you find yourself using your phone to fill the gaps in your life there’s a good chance that you need to re-evaluate why you have a phone. If you’re using your phone as a method of escapism then you won’t deal with the issues that you’re having. Which will lead to these issue surfacing in other ways, which will probably make you want to escape into your phone again. Another feedback loop.
So there you have it. 15 signs that you may be addicted to your phone. Do any of these sound like you? If so why not give yourself a Month Without Your Mobile challenge like I did?