The New Generation Nomophobians: The World is where the Phone is!

Psychiatrists spent years researching on drug and alcohol abuse trends among those aged 18-25 years. They devised effective treatment strategies for such abuses and were successful in completely curing teenagers and adults. Little did they know that a device called mobile phone can give rise to the biggest phobia the world is facing now – Nomophobia/#NoMoFobia. And, no awards for guessing the generation that has been affected the most… the 18-24 year olds.

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The UK and the USA identified this addiction early. In fact, it was UK Post Office that coined the term Nomophobia – the fear of being out of mobile phone contact. Nomophobia/#NoMoFobia is a 21^st century disorder of the modern world. SecurEnvoy (2012) study stated that in terms of relationships between age and Nomophobia, adults aged 18-24 were most prone to the phobia with 77% of them being identified as #NoMoFobic. And, with changes in technology and advent of new mobile applications, one can imagine the percentage rise in 2015.

So, what makes this age group eat, drink and sleep over mobile phones? The addiction primarily started with messaging and playing games (remember the Snake Series, if not all). Technology continuously evolved and now all we have to do is ‘touch’ our smartly developed phones to stay (dis)connected from the real world. And, hence the advent of Nomophobia.

The bane of smartphones significantly outnumbers the boon. Facts say and studies continuously prove the bane (becoming more a pain) of mobile phone addiction. People across all age groups have admitted to Nomophobia. It is just that a nation’s most vibrant and preserved age group of 18-24 years chose to lead the numbers of Nomophobians in research studies.

The growing Internet use has been an essential fuel for the rise of #NoMoFobes. Most teenagers and adults have admitted being addicted to their mobiles having Internet. Studies reveal 80% of 18-24 year olds sleep with their phones right next to them. And, the first and the last thing they do after waking up and before going to sleep is to check their phones.

Internet and Mobile — **Definition of World is Mobile+Internet**

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18-24 years #NoMoFobes have named mobile phones as the number one object or activity in their life. They would rather live without make-up, coffee, cigarettes and alcohol than their phones. Mobile phone is real world for #NoMoFobes. But, how real is it to live the life of a #NoMoFobe in the actual world?