Problematic smartphone use
[6][7] Widely accepted recommendations for the treatment of problematic use behaviors do not yet exist in part due to the lack of well-established evidence or expert consensus, the differing emphasis of the classification manuals, and difficulties using animal models for analysis.
[11][12] This has led experts to suggest that digital media overuse may not be a unified phenomenon, with some calling to delineate proposed disorders based on individual online activity.
[27] Overuse of mobile phones may be associated with negative outcomes on mental and physical health, in addition to having an impact on how users interact socially.
Clinical psychologist Lisa Merlo says, "Some patients pretend to talk on the phone or fiddle with apps to avoid eye contact or other interactions at a party.
Turkle also argues that people now find themselves in a state of "continual co-presence" where digital communication allows the occurrence of two or more realities in the same place and time.
[33] According to Elliot Berkman, a psychology professor at the University of Oregon, the constant checking of phones is caused by reward learning and the fear of missing out (FOMO).
As Berkman says, "Smartphones can be an escape from boredom because they are a window into many worlds other than the one right in front of you, helping us feel included and involved in society.
This study found a relationship between report of mental health and perceived stress of participants' accessibility, which is defined as the possibility to be disturbed at any moment of day or night.
[36] In a study produced by Doctor Lelia Green at Edith Cowan University, researchers discovered that "the growing use of mobile technologies implies a progressive digital colonization of children's lives, reshaping the interactions of younger adults."
[38] Research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine at Queen Mary in 2011 indicated that one in six cell phones is contaminated with fecal matter.
[43] In 2018 the Ramazzini Cancer Research Institute study of cell phone radiation and cancer published its results and conclusion that 'The RI findings on far field exposure to RFR are consistent with and reinforce the results of the NTP study on near field exposure, as both reported an increase in the incidence of tumors of the brain and heart in RFR-exposed Sprague-Dawley rats.
These experimental studies provide sufficient evidence to call for the re-evaluation of IARC conclusions regarding the carcinogenic potential of RFR in humans.’ [44] Research has shown that diminished quantity and quality of sleep could also be due to an inhibited secretion of melatonin.
[48] In 2014 the BBC reported concerns from opticians regarding blue-violet light emitted by cell phone screens, that it may be potentially hazardous to the eye and long term it may possibly increase the risk of macular degeneration.
[49] The position of the American Macular Degeneration Foundation is that the evidence for this risk, considering the relatively low intensity emitted by device screens, is inconclusive at best.
[52] There is a large amount of research on mobile phone use, and its positive and negative influence on the human's psychological mind, mental health and social communication.
In the wake of the emergence of smartphones, American professor of psychology Jean M. Twenge found an increase in depressive symptoms and even suicides among adolescents in 2010.
[56] A survey done by a group of independent opticians revealed that 43% of people under the age of 25 experienced anxiety or even irritation when they were not able to access their phone whenever they wanted.
[61] According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 were most distracted, with women at greater risk of dying in a crash.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also reported that cell phone users tended to brake harder, drive faster, and change lanes more frequently, predisposing them to crashes and near-crashes; they are two to six times more likely to be involved in accidents.
[64] Teen drivers are especially at risk; distractions such as music, games, GPS, and social media are potentially deadly when combined with inexperience.
Cell phone use can affecting young drivers' abilities to control vehicles, pay attention to the roadway, and respond promptly to traffic events.
[71][72] Other behavioral interventions include practicing the opposite (e.g. disrupt the user's normal routine and force them to re-adapt to a new usage pattern), goal-setting, reminder cards, and listing alternative activities (e.g. exercise, music, art, reading).
[75] German psychotherapist and online addiction expert Bert te Wildt recommends using apps such as Offtime and Menthal to help prevent mobile phone overuse.
Studying and developing interventions for temporary mobile phone non-use is a growing area of research, and has guided the design of apps for managing overuse.
[82] Mobile media education (in particular, teaching of time and attention management skills) can also reduce problematic smartphone use and increase wellbeing among high school students.
[86] Persistent smartphone overuse can result in symptoms that can be grouped into three broad categories: depression, social isolation, and low self-esteem or anxiety.
Communication conducted largely or exclusively online reduces face-to-face interactions with other people and can adversely affect normal social development and interpersonal relationships.
[90] Low self-esteem, a lack of self-confidence and negative self-image, can result from smartphone overuse, and is related to anxiety caused by the fear of missing out.
[88] People suffering from anxiety are more likely to perceive normal life events as pressure, and attempts to reduce this stress can result in more addictive behaviors.
Narcissistic personality disease is commonly developed through the overuse of social media and people will portray character traits of high levels of self-importance, fantasies of unlimited success, feeling special and unique, lack of empathy, envy, and arrogance.
