Nomophobia

Nomophobia is the fear of being out of mobile phone contact.^[1][2][3] The term, an abbreviation for "no-mobile-phone phobia",^[4] was coined during a study by the UK Post Office who commissioned YouGov, a UK-based research organisation to look at anxieties suffered by mobile phone users. The study found that nearly 53 percent of mobile phone users in Britain tend to be anxious when they "lose their mobile phone, run out of battery or credit, or have no network coverage"..^[5] The study found that about 58 percent of men and 48 percent of women suffer from the phobia, and an additional 9 percent feel stressed when their mobile phones are off. The study sampled 2,163 people. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed cited keeping in touch with friends or family as the main reason that they got anxious when they could not use their mobile phones.^[2] The study compared stress levels induced by the average case of nomophobia to be on-par with those of "wedding day jitters" and trips to the dentists.^[6] Ten percent of those questioned said they needed to be contactable at all times because of work. It is, however, arguable that the word 'phobia' is misused and that in the majority of cases it is only a normal anxiety.

More than one in two nomophobes never switch off their mobile phones.^[7] The study and subsequent coverage of the phobia resulted in two editorial columns authored by those who minimize their mobile phone use or choose not to own one at all, treating the condition with light undertones or outright disbelief and amusement.^[8][9]

See also

• Generation text
• List of phobias
• Telephone phobia, fear or reluctance of making or taking phone calls

References

1. ^ "Nomophobia is the fear of being out of mobile phone contact - and it's the plague of our 24/7 age | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. 2008-03-31. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=550610&in_page_id=1811&ct=5. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
2. ^ ^{a b} [1]^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "Fashion articles, Images, Pictures, Super models, Fashion designers, Fashion Weeks - Lifestyle @ Mid Day". Mid-day.com. http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/lifeatwork/lifeatwork/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1071008&_EXT_5_groupId=14. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
4. ^ "Nomophobia is the fear of being out of mobile phone contact - and it's the plague of our 24/7 age | News". Thisislondon.co.uk. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23468919-details/Nomophobia+is+the+fear+of+being+out+of+mobile+phone+contact+-+and+it's+the+plague+of+our+247+age/article.do. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
5. ^ Of all the things that you can be stressed of... (2008, April 1). The Statesman.
6. ^ "13m Britons have 'no mobile phobia'". Metro.co.uk. 2008-03-30. http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=130002&in_page_id=34. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
7. ^ My Name Is Mo R., And I Am A Nomophobe, February 2009, CBSnews.com.Retrieved August 2011
8. ^ "I refuse to carry a mobile phone | The Sun |News". The Sun. 2008-04-01. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article983702.ece. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
9. ^ [2]^{[dead link]}