NOMOPHOBIA

When people develop a fear of becoming disconnected from their mobile phone connectivity, it is known as NOMOPHOBIA or NO MObile PHone PhoBIA. The word NOMOPHOBIA has been defined as a “phobia for a particular/specific thing” based on the DSM-IV categories. When someone uses their phone excessively, several psychological issues are at play, such as poor self-esteem and other psychological disorders.The weight of this issue is now spreading across the globe. Other mental illnesses like panic disorder, social phobia, or anxiety may potentially exacerbate NOMOPHOBIC symptoms.

It may be very challenging to tell if a patient’s NOMOPHOBIC symptoms are caused by an anxiety problem that already exists or by the patient’s addiction to their mobile device. The indications and symptoms of NOMOPHOBIA instances include shaking, sweating, agitation, anxiety, respiratory changes, and tachycardia. There is a chance that NOMOPHOBIA will cover for other diseases. Therefore, while diagnosing it, we must be very careful. NOMOPHOBIA and some mental diseases can both lead to one another. As NOMOPHOBIA has many clinical symptoms with other diseases, the intricacy of this condition is exceedingly difficult for both the patients’ families and the doctors. NOMOPHOBIA should thus be identified by exclusion.

In order to prevent these problems, we must spend more time in the physical world than the virtual one. Human-to-human contacts and face-to-face ties must be restored. Therefore, rather than outright outlawing mobile phones, we should restrict their usage since we cannot resist the power of technological innovation.

Children should be encouraged by their parents to engage in outdoor activities and religious celebrations. They will have more opportunities to interact face to face as a result. Mental health problems like NOMOPHOBIA must be understood by parents. In order to inform and address such incidents, college officials should appoint mental health professional and members of a health team. The ban on mobile phones is tightly enforced at many colleges and universities around the globe nowadays.

It’s important to find creative ways to harness children’s enthusiasm. It may be possible to design systems to get them involved in social interactions, trips, and other physical activities. More than the virtual world, we must remain in the actual world. Because we cannot deny the power of technological innovation, we must restrict rather than outright prohibit the usage of mobile phones.

Monica T. Nakra

Assistant Professor, Psychology