Can You Be Addicted to Your Cell Phone?

If you look around your surroundings on any given day, most likely you notice a majority of people are focused only on their cell phone – people walking across city streets;  couples in restaurants not interacting with each other but in fact looking at their phones; parents not being present with their children but instead looking on the Internet.

While technology has done wonders for accessibility and instant information, cell phone usage has limited our social interactions and connections with others.  But at what point does cell phone usage become a dependence or even an addiction?

Although not yet classified as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) , the universal diagnostic tool for psychiatrics in the United States, researchers have compared cell phone addiction to other forms of behavior (gambling, sex) and substance abuse addiction.

The following symptoms on Psychguides.com are thought to comprise a list of criteria of cell phone addiction if it was included in the DSM-5:

• Persistent failed attempts to use cell phone less often.
• Preoccupationwith smartphone use.
• Turns to cell phone when experiencing unwanted feelings such as anxiety or depression.
• Excessive usecharacterized by loss of sense of time.
• Has put a relationship or job at riskdue to excessive cell phone use.
• Tolerance.
  • Need for newest cell phone, more applications, or increased use.
• Withdrawal, when cell phone or network is unreachable.

Signs of Smartphone Abuse or Dependence

While most of us may not fall into the category of addiction, chances are we are overusing or abusing our devices at the expense of human interactions or more fulfilling activities.  James A. Roberts, PhD, a marketing professor at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, identifies the following six signs to determine smartphone abuse or even addiction.  Do any of these signs ring true for you?

1. I reach for my cell phone first thing in the morning – this shows habitual patterns of behavior that begins to become ingrained in your daily routine.
2. I use my cell phone when I am bored – you tend toward your smartphone for excitement or connection instead of finding other activities that could provide more fulfillment, purpose or meaning.
3. I am spending more time on my smartphone – you may be building up a tolerance and find that you need more and more cell phone usage to get the desired effect.
4. I become anxious or agitated when my smartphone is out of sight. This may be a sign of withdrawal, which includes symptoms of stress, anxiety and panic when you are separated from your phone.
5. People have complained about my cell phone usage. Have your loved ones or friends commented on feeling ignored or dismissed because you are on your smartphone? Do you notice you use your smartphone in lieu of human connections?
6. I can’t seem to cut back on my cell phone use even though I try. Even with an intention to reduce your phone time, you feel as if you can’t control your urge to respond to that text message or email?

Ways to Reduce Dependence

If a majority of these signs seem problematic or relevant to you, below are several ideas for reducing your cell phone usage:

• Set limits on when you will use your smart phone – for example, not using it before a certain time in the morning or in the evening, except for emergencies.
• Become aware of your interactions with others and consciously put your phone away when you are conversing with them – being present and mindful in your connections.
• Swap your early morning phone check-ins with a guided meditation or yoga to practice in-the-moment awareness.
• Identify 2-3 activities that provide purpose or meaning that you can go to when you are bored – reading a good book, going for a walk outside, playing a board game with your children.
• Take a hiatus or completely get off social media sites. Deleting Facebook or Instagram gives us a freedom to make our own happiness.
• Ban smartphones and other technology at key family interactions – for example, instituting a “no cell phone during dinner” rule in your family to build connections with each other.
• Set boundaries. Let your boss or colleagues know that you don’t check your smartphone after a certain time so that you can set expectations and reduce the anxiety of not responding immediately.

Learning to create new habits and behaviors is the key to reducing cellphone abuses or addictive behaviors.  If you feel as if your smartphone habits are severely affecting relationships or professional interactions, contact a local therapist who can work with you to identify interventions strategies for reducing your dependence.

Erin Swinson, LMHCA, LPC, NCC

Therapist

Clarity Clinic

Signs and Symptoms of Cell Phone Addiction.  Retrieved on January 22, 2017 from http://www.psychguides.com/guides/signs-and-symptoms-of-cell-phone-addiction/.

Whitmore, J. (2016, Aug. 8).  The Six Signs of Cell Phone Addiction.  Retrieved on January 22, 2017 from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/273682.