Cell phone addiction

The mobile phone dependence or smartphone dependence , colloquially phone addiction or smartphone addiction , says the compulsive urge other (even absent) persons over telecommunications in contact appear to want. As a concomitant phenomenon, fear of losing access to telecommunications media can also arise ( nomophobia ). It has not yet been clearly clarified whether the excessive use of cell phones or smartphones can be considered a disease. So far there is no code in the classification system for medical or psychiatric diagnoses ( ICD-10 , DSM-5 ), also because of a small number of scientific studies.

Characteristics and symptoms

Mobile phone addiction is primarily characterized by the fact that those affected always have their mobile phones switched on and constantly keep an eye on them. Not carrying the cell phone with you often triggers nervousness , sometimes even fear or panic . It is not the mobile phone that poses the problem, but the desire to always be informed about current events in the vicinity and to be available to other people. However, in this telecommunications there is seldom actual attention, rather superficial conversations are usually held about unimportant topics. Mobile phone addiction, like other forms of dependency , often results in the person concerned being socially isolated from society or his social environment.

Furthermore - especially with regard to smartphones - a close connection to internet addiction is assumed, which is discussed more and more frequently in the USA in the context of the debates on the Mobile and Internet Dependency Syndrome (MAIDS). The differentiation between mobile phone or smartphone and internet dependency therefore harbors some difficulties.

Signs of cell phone addiction include a cell phone that is always on, a constant urge to use the phone, compulsive checking to receive new messages, frequent checking of the mailbox, chronic urge to contact, lack of concentration and nervousness to anxiety and depression in the absence of the cell phone (e.g. E.g. if it was forgotten at home) and fear of missing a conversation (and thus fear of being cut off from a social network). In addition, those affected often feel a feeling of emptiness and loneliness in situations that cannot be filled with other activities or with noises - such as unproductive moments, which can then be overcome by using the mobile phone. Even in situations in which those affected are exposed to the perception of others and feel observed, the mobile phone is often used so that it has a protective function . Various factors also indicate a cell phone addiction, such as compulsive behavior to buy the latest model, distraction and compulsiveness, as well as prioritization of constant availability.

People who suffer from non-substance addiction usually display some behaviors like those affected by substance-related addiction, such as using the addiction to run away from conflict , to be distracted or to submerge. Experience and thoughts constantly revolve around the object of desire, which promises reassurance and satisfaction. If the hoped-for effect does not occur, loss of control , an increase in the dose or withdrawal symptoms are the consequences.

These behaviors are reflected in the compulsive desire to be constantly available and up to date with the latest happenings in the environment.

research

Identification of symptoms

A study with Chinese students looked at the link between loneliness, shyness and smartphone addiction. It was found that a high level of shyness and loneliness are associated with a higher risk of smartphone addiction. In addition, symptoms could be identified, such as disregarding harmful consequences, preoccupation with the smartphone beyond its own use ( preoccupation ), a loss of control and productivity, and a feeling of being afraid or lost.

Smartphone dependency scale

The Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) was developed on the basis of the Korean self-diagnosis program for Internet addiction ( K-Scale ). It is intended to be used for self-diagnosis for smartphone addiction.

Based on the SAS and other existing internet and mobile phone addiction scales, the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS) was developed for adolescents. This scale is intended to provide information about susceptibility to smartphone addiction. For example, the scale asks whether school grades have worsened due to excessive smartphone use or whether friends and family complained about frequent smartphone use. After the scale was tested on 795 Korean students, it was possible to add a few parameters to it and thus better match it to smartphone dependency. Other methods for determining mobile phone addiction are the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the Mobile Phone Dependence Questionnaire (MPDQ).

Addictive design

The so-called addictive design is a technique that consciously tries to cause addictive behavior. To do this, the designers of the user interfaces of social networks and streaming platforms specifically “manipulate” the neurochemistry of the user. For example, the most important buttons are always aligned with the thumb. This enables the user to react quickly to the essentials. Another example is the “Autoplay” technology on various video and streaming platforms. A technique that plays a new video in a smaller window before the actual video ends. With this addictive design, users should stay on the platform or in social media for as long as possible.

Self-control via software

In 2014, psychologists and computer scientists from the University of Bonn developed a program that measures daily usage time and the frequency of smartphone consumption. While earlier approaches to determining usage data were usually implemented by means of self-reports, this app provides “reliable data for the first time”.

Since 2018, smartphone operating systems have offered the ability to display and, in some cases, limit usage behavior. It started with Google in May 2018 at the conference I / O 2018, when the system expansion English Digital Wellbeing , digital well-being ' was announced, which is 9.0 available from Android and should help reduce addictive behavior. Shortly thereafter, Apple introduced corresponding options in iOS 12 under the name English Screentime 'Screen Time ' . Both system extensions have in common that the maximum time that is spent within each individual app can be measured and limited. With Digital Wellbeing, Google also offers the option of manually or time-controlled switching the smartphone display to grayscale, which is intended to inhibit use. On iOS, this is also possible using the quick function, but must be set up manually.

There are no scientifically sound findings on the influence of gray levels or the use of measurements and limitations of the programs (as of January 2019).

literature

• Heike-Solweig Bleuel (Ed.) (2008): Generation Handy: ... seduced without limits on the Internet. 2nd Edition.

Web links

• Addictive substances e. V.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Heike-Solweig Bleuel (Ed.): Generation Handy:… seduced without limits in the net . 2nd Edition. Röhrig University Press, 2008, ISBN 978-3-86110-432-2 .
2. ↑ Mengwei Bian, Louis Leung: Linking Loneliness, Shyness, Smartphone Addiction Symptoms, and Patterns of Smartphone Use to Social Capital. In: Social Science Computer Review. 33, 2014, p. 61, doi : 10.1177 / 0894439314528779 .
3. ↑ Min Kwon, Joon-Yeop Lee, Wang-Youn Won, Jae-Woo Park, Jung-Ah Min: Development and Validation of a Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) . In: PLOS ONE . tape 8 , no. 2 , February 27, 2013, ISSN  1932-6203 , p. e56936 , doi : 10.1371 / journal.pone.0056936 , PMID 23468893 , PMC 3584150 (free full text).
4. ↑ ^{a b} Dongil Kim, Yunhee Lee, Juyoung Lee, JeeEun Karin Nam, Yeoju Chung: Development of Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale for Youth . In: PLOS ONE . tape 9 , no. 5 , May 21, 2014, ISSN  1932-6203 , p. e97920 , doi : 10.1371 / journal.pone.0097920 , PMID 24848006 , PMC 4029762 (free full text).
5. ^ F. Chin, CH Leung: The concurrent validity of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the Mobile Phone Dependence Questionnaire (MPDQ). In: PLOS ONE . Volume 13, number 6, 2018, p. E0197562, doi : 10.1371 / journal.pone.0197562 , PMID 29944668 , PMC 6019674 (free full text).
6. ↑ Hartwin Maas: How apps fuel Gen Z's smartphone addiction. January 15, 2020, accessed May 13, 2020 . 
7. ↑ App warns of cell phone addiction - researchers at the University of Bonn have developed the mini-program .
8. ^ Google's Digital Wellbeing initiative: Everything you need to know. In: androidcentral. June 13, 2018, accessed January 20, 2019 . 
9. ↑ Digital wellbeing. In: Google website. Retrieved January 20, 2019 . 
10. ↑ Apple "Screen Time". In: Apple website. Retrieved January 20, 2019 . 
11. ↑ iOS Screen Time vs. Android Digital Wellbeing: Which phone addiction fighter is best for you? In: Macworld. August 18, 2018, accessed January 20, 2019 . 
12. ↑ Change Your Screen to Grayscale to Combat Phone Addiction. In: lifehacker. June 5, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2019 . 

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !