Signs your Smartphone Addiction is getting Worse.

We all know how convenient smartphones are. 

They make it simple to do important things, like monitor the weather and look up complex food recipes.

It helps you connect with tons of friends, keep up with breaking news around the world, or simply see what your favourite celebrity had for lunch. 

However, they present more issues for smartphone addicts than they do solutions. 

Smartphone addiction is also known as nomophobia, which stands for “no mobile phone phobia.”

The fact that smartphone addiction has its term is proof in itself that it become a significant enough problem.

A study at the University of Derby reveals that the more you use a smartphone, the higher the risk of becoming addicted. The struggles of smartphone addiction, which can vary from psychological to physical, are extremely challenging for individuals who are experiencing it.

If you are aware that you are dealing with smartphone addiction, then check out these signs to see if your nomophobia is getting out of control:

Social Media is Stressing You Out

If you find yourself exhausted from the content you’re absorbing from social media, and you can’t look away? Then you might be deep in addiction further than you think.

It is important to separate ourselves from what wears us out. But when you can’t seem to catch a break, then it’s time to take your smartphone addiction more seriously.

It’s getting Difficult to Sleep

Sleep issues have often been connected with smartphone addiction. 

Nighttime is when content is heavily consumed. This is because it’s the time when you’ve wound down from the day or are usually not obligated to any responsibilities.

Studies show that the constant blue light that your phone emits may interfere with your sleep cycle, making it more difficult to fall asleep. 

Asides from the effect of the long hours of screentime preventing you from falling asleep, you can tell your smartphone addiction is getting worse if you find yourself fighting sleep to keep consuming content or if you discover that you can’t stop staring at your screen or put your phone away until you drift off.

Your Anxiety is Worse 

Addiction doesn’t just mean you look at your phone a lot. 

It also comes with unchanging signs that suggest you’ve gotten reliant on your phone to the point that it interferes with your daily life. 

If you find yourself growing even more anxious the longer your phone is out of sight (even if simply on charge) then you might like even more addicted to your phone than you initially thought.

You check your phone way too many times

According to a study by Deloitte, the average person checks their cell phone 47 times every day. That’s already quite a lot, so you know it’s a problem if you’re doing it even more times than that.

It might be hard to keep track of how many times you check your phone each day, but you can use Applatch’s tracker to analyze how much screen time you are indulging in.

It’s Hard to Pay Attention

Do you sometimes feel as if you are missing out on your experiences, even when you’re physically present?

You know you’re hooked when you give your phone so much attention that you start to ignore the discussions and people around you, especially conversations directed to you.

Social interaction is a good way to exercise your brain, so by skipping conversations in favour of checking your phone, you are sacrificing a chance to maintain mental acuity and balance.

You Text despite being Busy

A very good indication of a problematic addiction to your smartphone is the struggle to put your phone away, even at a cost.

Texting while driving falls under this category. The reaction times of texting while driving is slower than even those of drunk driving. You put yourself and other drivers at risk if you can’t put your phone away while driving.

Other instances are texting while in meetings or gatherings like church services or funerals.

You Waste Time

Do you frequently catch yourself realising that you’ve been engrossed in your phone for much longer than you should have? 

When you fill hours of your day on your phone, It’s an indication that you have a problem with moderation as you spend hours scrolling through social media feeds or websites like a zombie seeking likes rather than brains. 

Even though you may feel in some pockets of the day as though you have “nothing better to do”, if you feel the need to constantly fill that time with screen time, it may be a sign that your addiction to your smartphone is getting worse.

You’ve become more Impulsive

Impulsive behaviour is increasingly more common among smartphone addicts these days.

It starts as being able to text quickly or be the first to comment on a post, but it could impair your inability to pause and think before you act over time.

Spending too much time on your phone has been found to create an imbalance in your brain’s chemistry, and by indulging, you can worsen this imbalance.

You always sense False Vibrations

You likely understand what we’re talking about if you struggle with smartphone addiction. 

Your phone starts to vibrate, but when you check it, nothing is there. 

It might be that your body eagerly perceives other cues as a message from your phone since you keep anticipating using your phone. This could make it hard to focus or give your family or friends your attention.

 You simply cannot Stop

It’s clear that you’re hooked on your smartphone addiction when you make numerous attempts to reduce your phone use and fail miserably every time. 

Consider cutting it back gradually until you reach your desired daily screen time instead of quitting altogether. 

Try using Applatch, the mobile app that helps you control the addictive apps on your phone by locking them for a desired period.

You can only pause or end your session through a chosen accountability partner. This makes it even harder to give in, and also erases the need for you to delete your favourite apps.

Conclusion

Addictions can get in the way of quality living, and can even impair your relationships with your loved ones. You might tend to think that once you’re hooked on less dire things, the consequences are not as fatal.

It’s better to be safe than sorry. Take measures to curb your addiction, and if you find you can’t do it alone, that’s okay. Seek support from those you can trust, and help from a professional.

Let nothing stop you from living the best life possible!