The way in which cell phones have changed the world is fascinating to those of us who can remember a time where they simply weren't part of everyday life for most people, or any people for that matter. Humanity has adapted to mobile devices so quickly and completely that we spend little time thinking about the fact that computers took up whole rooms not that long ago, and now most of us carry little pocket computers around everywhere they go — almost like they're a part of our very bodies.
Only four in every hundred Americans currently don't own any kind of cell phone. Eighty-one percent use smartphones. They're pretty nifty. With an internet-connected smartphone in your hands, you now never have to get lost, never have to miss out on important work messages, never have to sit around your favorite lunch place waiting for your friend for an hour before wandering off because it looks like she ain't gonna show. You never have to wait until you can get to a dictionary to look up the meaning of a word. You — and your kids — never have to be bored. You don't have to carry bulky planners around to remember what meetings you're due to attend. And the list goes on.
Is smartphone addiction a real thing?
Smartphone or cell phone addiction research has been booming in recent years, and many studies freely use the term "addiction" in relation to people who overuse their smartphones in unhealthy ways. Not everyone agrees, however, and one paper that argues against the existence of a smartphone addiction makes some very interesting points when it investigates whether smartphone overuse really meets commonly accepted criteria for addiction:
- Unlike many established addictions, smartphone overuse doesn't appear to cause financial difficulties or physical health problems (apart from sometimes tendinitis, an inflammation of the tendons due to repetitive overuse).
- It may, however, cause problems in face-to-face relationships and produce distress and anxiety when the smartphone is not available. Like established addictions, people who are "glued to their smartphone" may spend more time on there than they wanted and have trouble stopping when they try.
- Another important thing healthcare providers look at when diagnosing an addiction is whether the symptoms displayed are better explained by some other factor. The paper offers gambling in someone with bipolar disorder who is currently manic as an example; this person wouldn't be diagnosed with a gambling addiction, because their underlying bipolar disorder better explains the behavior. The overuse of smartphones may be caused by all sorts of things other than addiction — work obligations, loneliness, and stress, to name a few.
Do you have 'connectivity issues'? Signs of problematic smartphone use to look out for
There's a "Smartphone addiction scale (SAS)" scale out there that some clinicians use to determine whether a person's smartphone use is problematic. It exists in several versions, but in all cases, the person being assessed can answer all questions asked by indicating the degree to which they hold true for them — so that means you can answer "strongly agree", "strongly disagree" and everything in between, or "not at all", "always", and everything in between.
A shorter version includes the following statements (which are really questions):
- I sometimes miss work because I'm using my smartphone.
- I have trouble concentrating at work or school because of smartphone use.
- My wrist, back, or neck hurt because of my smartphone use.
- I couldn't bear not having a smartphone.
- I am distress when I don't have my smartphone around.
- I think about my smartphone when I am not using it.
- I won't stop using my smartphone even though my life is negatively impacted by it.
- I constantly check my smartphone.
- I use my smartphone more and for longer than I intend to.
- People in my life tell me I use my smartphone too much.
Some of these items represent problematic use without a doubt, if you strongly recognize yourself in them. But reality is a bit more complicated than this questionnaire. If you are glued to your phone and check it "compulsively" because your relative is in the hospital and you're waiting for updates on their condition, because you receive work or school assignments through it, or because it's your only way to get in touch with a loved-one living abroad, for instance, that may still negatively affect your mental health and social life, but it can hardly be called an addiction.
What can you do if you think you have a problem with smartphone overuse?
Maybe smartphone addiction is your problem, or perhaps another root cause is to blame for your smartphone overuse. Maybe you're depressed or otherwise unsatisfied in life. Maybe your phone has become an unhealthy way to cope with stress. It doesn't really matter whether or not your smartphone overuse technically qualifies as an addiction — if it's messing with your social relationships, academic performance, work performance, or ability to fully enjoy life outside of your phone, it's time to take charge and make changes.
Try:
- Limiting the hours during which you use your phone — this will vary from person to person, but it could include committing to not using your phone at school, in the hour before you go to bed, and when you are in the company of others.
- Limiting what you do on your smartphone — this could mean restricting yourself to using your phone only for things you actually need it for, for example, no games, no wasting time on people's social media feeds, and no watching cat videos.
- Including more useful and pleasurable activities that do not involve your smartphone, whether it's hiking, dating in the offline world, joining a gym, or whatever strikes your fancy. Really try to be present in the moment and not think about stuff going on online while you do this.
- Every time you believe that you need to respond to a message you receive "right now", think again. Do you really? Can it wait?
If you've tried to lay off the smartphone but found can't "autocorrect", talk therapy is the right step for you.