The Shocking Truth About Smartphone Addiction

With rapid technological advances, the excessive use of gadgets has become a norm in this present age. While there are numerous gadgets in this digital age that have got us hooked, it’s the smartphone that has enslaved us for better or worse. Is our dependency on gadgets making us mechanical animals devoid of emotion?

What Is Smartphone Addiction?

Although there is no conclusive consensus in regard with the term and definition, smartphone addiction also commonly termed as “problematic smartphone use” can be defined as a digital addiction or digital dependence on overuse of mobile phones reflecting a compulsive behavior among users. Overuse of smartphone is associated with negative outcomes on physical and mental health.

Low self-esteem, behavioral issues, hyperactivity, and inattention is linked with individuals spending long hours with smartphones. Degraded mental or physical health, increased anxiety, depression, and relationship problems are some of the adverse effects of smartphone addiction.

What Makes Smartphones Excessively Popular?

Smartphones are touch-screen mobile devices that combine functions of a conventional phone and computer. The popularity of this compact sized device among different age groups attributes to it’s advanced features and the quick access it offers to the internet and social media helping facilitate connectivity, communication, and messaging.

Aside from offering access to sophisticated communication networks, smartphones additionally offer a wide spectrum of entertainment and amusement such as apps, games, video sharing platforms, photo albums, electronic books, and multimedia. Essential tools such as recorders, camera, GPS, translator, speech recognition, infrared remote control, torchlight, calculator, e-wallet, and health trackers further add to the convenience of users.

According to Canalys, a leading global technology market analyst firm, the worldwide smartphone market experienced a 10% year-on-year growth in Q1 2024, reaching a staggering 296.2 million units. Is our overattachment towards this device justified?

Although smartphones have become an important part of communication in our lives, question is are we in control or are we being controlled? We may not realize it, but smartphone addiction is wrecking lives, and it’s only going to get worse in the near future.

Scales Used to Quantify Smartphone Overuse Among Adults and Adolescents

Prevalence of smartphone overuse among adults and adolescents is determined by two main scales PUMP (Problematic Use of Mobile Phones) scale and the MPPUS (Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale) scale used to assess and quantify behavior. In accordance with the scales and definitions used, variations occur in percentage of population affected, gender, and age.

Additional scales used to quantify, assess, or measure smartphone addictions are the SAS-SV (the Smartphone Addiction Scale), K-scale (Korean Scale for Internet Addiction for adolescents), and the SAPS (Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale). Taking into consideration different diagnostic criteria, estimated prevalence of smartphone overuse ranges from 0 to 38% among adults and 0 to 47% among adolescents with self-attribution of smartphone addiction exceeding prevalence estimates in studies.

The FOMO Factor in Smartphone Addiction

The effects of smartphone addiction are devastating. According to psychology professor Elliot Berkman at the University of Oregon, it is reward learning and FOMO (fear of missing out) that compels people to check their smartphones constantly. It’s habituated tendencies that are formed by this rewarding behavior that reinforces positive feelings as you receive or respond to notifications.

With smartphones offering a window to many worlds other than the reality they dwell within; people often check their smartphones to relieve themselves of social pressures they feel. This tendency is attributed by the check habit with smartphones manifested by the FOMO factor. Smartphones have become an escape mechanism to avoid boredom, and this paradigm shift from the realms of reality to an enigmatically diverse virtual reality is getting dangerously out of control.

Impact of Overuse of Smartphones on Social Interaction

The impact of overuse of smartphones has taken a toll on social interaction. The increased use of smartphones in recent years has reduced face-to-face social interactions among both teenagers and adults significantly. Individuals spend longer hours on the smartphone connecting with friends and family in a virtual environment rather than meeting them in person. Overuse of smartphones is causing a communication barrier among parents and children, especially among teenagers.

In a study at the Edith Cowan University by Dr Lelia Green, research revealed that the growing number of smartphone technologies has led to a progressive digital colonization of children’s lives thereby changing the dynamics and reshaping interactions. Face-to-face interaction and personal communication have reduced drastically because of the growing number of shared interactions that take place on smartphones through video sharing, social media, and digital instant messaging.

Psychological Impact of Smartphone Addiction

Increased smartphone use is leading to psychological problems, and it is becoming a matter of grave concern. Research reveals individuals spending extended hours on smartphones are more likely to encounter symptoms of depression, sleep disturbances and stress than individuals that do not spend much time with their smartphones and are more engaged with outdoor activities.

It is of critical importance to evaluate the relation between smartphone addiction and depressive symptoms because their co-relation can sometimes lead to heightened substance abuse, low self-esteem, social isolation, or suicide. Research reveals, smartphones are used as a tool for different forms cyberbullying by children, teenagers, and young adults.

According to a study by Jean. M. Twenge an American Professor of Psychology, with the emergence of smartphones depressive symptoms and suicidal tendencies have risen significantly among teenagers. With teenagers spending much of their time glued and entertained looking at smartphone screens they restrain themselves from emotional practices and face-to-face human interaction.

With a plethora of mobile technologies being introduced at a rapid pace, adolescents in this present age spend their leisure time with smartphones completely disconnected from reality and what really matters.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse that funded a representative study of 12th graders titled “Monitoring the Future Survey” reveals that teens who spend long hours (above average time) on screen activities are more likely to be sad, depressed, unhappy with depleted energy levels, whereas their counterparts spending more time on outdoor activities and less time on screens are more likely to be happy and energized.

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Research reveals people experience increased levels of anxiety when they are not able to access their smartphone for a short period of time. This throws light on the fact that people tend to satisfy their need to not miss out on something by checking their smartphone every now and then.

Potential Health Risks of Smartphone Addiction

Although there is no conclusive evidence linking smartphone use and cancer, it is a known fact that antennas in smartphones emit radiofrequency (RF) radiation. Although non-ionizing radio waves in smartphones are not known to be harmful, long-term use or prolonged use of the device can be potentially carcinogenic through the increased risk of developing glioma tumors. However, there is no scientific evidence that definitively answers if non-ionizing radiation in smartphones can cause cancer.

Although a 2021 study revealed that 5G radio frequencies ranging from 450MHz to 6,000 MHz can potentially affect male and female fertility and may have a detrimental effect on development of newborns, fetuses and embryos, the evidence remains inconclusive. Although studies conducted on the effects of radio RF electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) emitted by smartphones do reveal potential risks associated with decrease in sperm count and motility, and an increase in oxidative stress, conclusions could not be drawn due to insufficient findings and evidence.

Is Your Smartphone Germ Free?

While we may not give the above question much thought, the facts about smartphone hygiene are rather shocking. Research reveals most teenagers and young adults check their smartphones while eating a meal or a snack using the same hand to eat and touch the screen of the smartphone. It may sound rather disgusting, but the truth is many of us are guilty of doing this. Furthermore, research reveals teens tend to kiss the picture of their crush, boyfriend, girlfriend, or pet on their smartphone screen in a way to show their affection.

Research conducted at Queen Mary by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine revealed some disturbing facts about smartphone hygiene. The research revealed one in six smartphones has the presence fecal matter contamination. Contaminated mobile phones harbor a conducive environment for germs and pathogenic strains of bacteria, E. coli in particular which can result in diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting.

Are Smartphones Causing Distracted Driving?

While the school of thought that goes into answering the above question differs drastically, it is a known fact that smartphone use while driving greatly affects road observance time, reaction time, judgment on lane deviations, and overall driver performance. The harsh truth is many phone-related automobile crashes are not reported due to driver’s reluctance to accept and admit their fault of using a smartphone while driving.

Although many jurisdictions globally have laws that make handheld mobile use while driving illegal, automobile crashes and accidents caused by distracted driving are on the rise. State Farm Insurance, a US insurance company conducted a study on March 2011 which revealed 19 percent of drivers that were surveyed admitted to accessing the internet on a smartphone while driving.

Drivers that read text on a smartphone are likely to take their eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds, which can prove to be a costly mistake during rush hour. Drivers that text while driving are 23 times more likely have an automobile crash or accident. In the United States, one out of every 4 automobile crashes are a result of texting while driving.

Smartphone Use Among Children

With information and communication landscapes changing with rapid technological advances, portable devices have become the new norm for children, and there’s no escaping them. Smartphones have become the go to device for children.

With multifunctionality of smartphones expanding significantly in recent years, children are spending excessively long hours on these devices learning, studying, browsing, gaming, social networking, and watching videos.

Constantly looking at the small-sized smartphone screens puts a lot of strain on the eyes of children resulting in dry eyes, watery eyes, and eventually visual deterioration. Prolonged exposure to blue violet rays on smartphones can potentially increase the risk of macular degeneration.

A study by the Italian Journal of Pediatrics reveals 66.4 % of children spend four hours or more everyday on their smartphone, with the percentage being just 16.3% before the COVID-19 Pandemic. This goes to show that prolonged use of smartphones get you hooked to a habituated environment and makes it exceedingly difficult to break the habit.

Recommendations on the minimization of usage and the time limit spent on smartphones and screen devices for children are only effective when parents schedule their children’s viewing time in accordance with priority of tasks.

Children spending excessive time on smartphones are potentially at risk of premature thinning of the cortex. Overuse of smartphone in children can affect a child’s psychology, sleep cycles, thinking patterns, behavior, and shorten attention span considerably.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends children younger than 18 months should not be exposed to screen time. However, what’s alarming is the fact that many parents give their toddlers smartphones to keep them glued and engaged.

It is absolutely shocking to realize the smartphone has become the newfound toy for babies. That little visually appealing screen in the hands of your toddler can well pose health risks and sow the seeds of problematic smartphone use commonly known as smartphone addiction.

Is Smartphone Addiction Causing Relationship Problems?

Overuse of smartphone is causing a rift among partners in a relationship. Since the emergence of smartphones, couples are finding it increasingly difficult to prioritize time for each other. For many, keeping away from their smartphone and paying attention to their partners needs feels like a task. Even when couples spend quality time with each other, they tend to complain about the smartphone being a major distraction.

Several couples in this fast-paced technological era are faced with hectic schedules and communicate with their partners through texting and messaging instead of being more focused on face-to-face interactions. Smartphone addiction is known to make conversations among partners in a romantic relation shallow, and in the bargain make room for doubt and suspicion thereby straining the emotional bond between partners.

Although phubbing has become a normalized natural extension in social interaction, the truth is it is ruining relationships. Phubbing refers to the habit of snubbing a person who is physically present in favor of a smartphone. Partner phubbing is becoming a worrisome trend that is causing a strain in relationships. Professor of Marketing, James A. Roberts at Baylor University conducted a study that revealed 46.3% of Americans had been phubbed by their partners.

Additionally, 22.3% of Americans said partner phubbing caused a rift or conflict in their relationship. Research provides ample evidence that phubbing behavior is often used or displayed as a coping mechanism to help deal with a negative state of mind bringing neurotic character traits to the forefront.

Smartphone Addiction Stats That Startle and Shock

• Almost 20% of car accidents and crashes are caused due to smartphone use or smartphone distraction during driving.
• More than 80% smartphone users check their smartphone within 15 minutes of waking up.
• 37% of smartphone users started texting significantly more after COVID-19.
• According to Pewresearch, 15% of adults in the U.S. access the internet only on their smartphone, and do not have home broadband service.
• More than 70% of smartphone users spend more time with their smartphones than their romantic partners.
• A study published in American Academy of Pediatrics Journal (AAP) reveals more than 44% of children under the age of 1 are given smartphones by parents, and by age 2 the number rises to a staggering 77%.
• More than 65% parents give their toddler a smartphone to calm them in a public place.
• According to ACM Digital Library – Association for Computing Machinery, females use smartphones more than their male counterparts, spending approximately 166.78 minutes daily vs. 154.26 minutes.
• More than 85% of smartphone users check their smartphone just before going to bed.
• According to research conducted by Dscout, users swipe, tap, or touch their smartphone an average 2,617 times a day.
• A survey conducted by Reviews.org discovered Americans check their smartphone 144 times a day on average.
• 82% of people check their smartphone while in conversation with family or friends.
• The average person spends 4 hours and 45 minutes with their smartphone every day.
• More than 70% of parents give their baby a smartphone to keep them occupied while doing chores.
• According to Ofcom, 50% of 10-year-olds in the UK own smartphones.
• The Italian Journal of Pediatrics reveals 56% of children and adolescents access their smartphones after midnight at least 3 times in a week.
• Approximately 44% of adults access their smartphones for work related emails on vacation.
• Presently, China has the highest number of smartphone users in the world followed by India and the United States.
• More than two-thirds of children spend approximately 4 hours or more every day on their smartphones.
• According to Pewresearch, during an in-person interaction, 72% of parents feel their teenagers get distracted by smartphones.

Sources and Further Reading

Smartphone and Internet Addiction - HelpGuide.org

Phone Addiction: Warning Signs And Treatment (addictioncenter.com)

© 2024 Ansel Pereira