Abstract
This short note will explain the negative effect of the excessive use of the mobile phone. It will create some awareness of new mental health issues and tips to manage the problems.

Generally, people know about phobia, which is fear of something; everyone faces this emotional state at least once in their lifetime. But the question comes, what is nomophobia? It is a psychological condition when people have a fear of being detached from their mobile phone and its connectivity.

Development in science has been very fast for the last two decades in every field, particularly communication. Messages were sent through letters in earlier ages, which transformed them to telegram, telephone, and eventually wireless cell phones. In this line of Invention, smartphones were unbelievable. The smartphone’s arrival replaced radio, watches, television, and even computers; mobile phones have become a significant part of modern life. Not only is it used as a tool to communicate, but it also acts as a social network tool, personal organizer, online shopping tool, calendar, alarm clock, and mobile bank. Now, we can access every corner of the world through smartphones in our hands. Since the arrival of smartphones, we have been bound by wires of the technological web, like spider webs. All this technology was discovered for human support. But it creates new health issues not only physical (neck pain, shoulder pain) but also mental as well. People get anxious or even panic when they can’t find their smartphone. Sometimes, they get irritated with no cellular service in an isolated place. If so, they might have some of the symptoms of nomophobia.

The term NOMOPHOBIA is nothing but NO MOBILE PHONE PHOBIA. It is used to describe a psychological condition when people have a fear of being without mobile phone connectivity.

The term “NOMOPHOBIA” originated from the United Kingdom (UK) Post Office in 2008 during a study that commissioned YouGov, a UK-based research organization. According to Shambare et al. (2012), cell phones are “possibly the biggest non-drug addiction of the 21st century.” Today’s college students are spending more than 9 hours per day on their mobile phones, which leads to addiction.

It is an example of “a paradox of technology” having both the property of freeing and enslaving. Freeing from the real world and enslaving to the virtual world. It has been observed among students that low-grade point average (GPA) and increased anxiety levels are correlated with frequent cell phone usage. The decrease in GPA among students may be due to distraction from the overuse of mobile phones during class. Pressure for continually being connected to social (virtual) networks may increase anxiety as it leaves no time for relieving daily stress during solitude, which is an essential component of our well-being. As per the study, 61% of people check their smartphones after waking up in the morning as their first job.

Signs and symptoms

• The inability to turn off your phone.
• Constantly checking your phone for missed messages, emails, or calls.
• Charging your battery even when your phone is almost fully charged.
• Taking your phone with you everywhere you go, even into the bathroom.
• Repeatedly checking to make sure that you have your phone.
• Fear of being without Wi-Fi or being able to connect to a cellular data network.
• Worrying about negative things happening and not being able to call for help.
• Stress over being disconnected from one’s online presence or identity.
• Skipping activities or planned events to spend time on the mobile.
• Anxiety, Respiratory alterations, Trembling, Perspiration, Agitation, Disorientation, Tachycardia.

How to Manage

• We must stay in the real world more than the virtual world. We must re-establish human-human interactions and face-to-face connections. So, we need to limit our use of mobile phones rather than banning them because we cannot escape the force of technological advancement.
• Parents should motivate their children to participate in outdoor games and religious festivals. It will give them more chances for face-to-face interaction.
• Parents must have awareness regarding such psychological problems as NOMOPHOBIA.
• School authorities should appoint counsellors and health team personnel to educate and deal with such incidents.
• In most of the schools and colleges, mobile phone restrictions should be strictly enforced.
• Encourage social activities
• Youngsters’ energy needs to be channelled creatively. Mechanisms may be devised to engage them in physical activities, outings, social interaction, etc.

Therapy (Coping with Nomophobia)
If you have symptoms of nomophobia or if you feel like your mobile phone use is causing problems in your life, talk to a mental health professional- they may help. While there is no specific treatment for nomophobia, your therapist may recommend exposure therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, or both to address your symptoms. In some instances, your doctor may also prescribe some type of medication to address symptoms of anxiety or depression that you might be experiencing.

Behavioral Therapy for Phobias
If you think you have nomophobia or feel that you are spending too much time on your phone, there are things that you can do to better manage your device use.

Set boundaries.
Establish rules for your personal device use. This might mean avoiding your mobile device at certain times of the day, such as during meals or at bedtime.

Find a balance.
It can be easy to use your phone to avoid face-to-face contact with other people. Focus on getting some personal interaction with others every day.

Take short breaks.
It can be tough to break the mobile phone habit, but starting small can make the transition easier. Start by doing small things, such as leaving your phone in another room during meals or when you are engaged in another activity. 

Find other ways to occupy your time.
If you find that you are using your phone excessively out of boredom, try looking for other activities to distract you from your device. Try reading a book, going for a walk, playing sports, or engaging in a hobby that you enjoy. 

Treatment Medications
While there is no FDA-approved medication for the treatment of nomophobia, your GP doctor or psychiatrist may prescribe anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants to address some of your symptoms.

Conclusion

Nomophobia is a growing problem, along with other fears and behavioural addictions tied to technology use. Given how dependent many people are on their mobile phones for work, school, news, entertainment, and social connectedness, it can be an incredibly difficult problem to overcome. Stopping cell phone use entirely is not realistic, but learning how to set limits and boundaries on how much you allow your time to use a phone can help your life to be smooth. Taking an occasional break from your phone, engaging in activities separate from it, and finding distractions to keep you busy rather than mindlessly playing on your phone are all good places to start.

References:

• Nomophobia -Wikipedia
• Nomophobia: The Fear of Being without Your Phone by Kendra Cherry, MSEd
• Updated on August 16, 2023medically reviewed By Amy Morin, LCSW
• Top of Form Print Verywell/Bailey Mariner
• What is nomophobia – Medically reviewed by Kendra Kubala, PsyD, Psychology —Written by Jenna Fletcher on February 4, 2022
• Afraid of losing your phone? There’s a Name for That: Nomophobia.
• Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD — Written by Crystal Raypole on August 27, 2019 – Healthline