Addiction to cell phones

Cell Phone Addiction: The Increasingly Pervasive Issue

Cell phones, according to recent studies, are just as addictive as any other substance. Prolonged use of a cell phone, similar to drug use, may lead to the belief that one cannot live a healthy life without it. According to research, the risk of women becoming addicted to phones is higher than the risk of men becoming addicted to phones since women have a stronger affinity for social media apps like Instagram and Pinterest (Roberts, 2014). Women often spend more time on their phones because they use them to keep in touch with friends and family, while men use them for entertainment and information (Kooh, 2011). Despite the fact that many reasons have contributed to cell phone addiction, there is no vertical upscale to measure all of them. In relation to that, Facebook addiction had played a significant role in the contribution of phone addiction (Ryan, 2014). Conclusively, the use of technology, especially cell phones is not as good as most people may think. Specific complications may arise as this platform is increasingly becoming addictive for some people.

The Eye-Opening Realization

It is not until I read this article that I realized that one could actually get addicted to cell phones. It was also shocked after learning that this addiction is a very serious problem. I have seen some of these symptoms from my friends and my initial reaction was that it is normal, considering I also exhibit the same at certain points. From this article, I should learn to control the amount of time I spend on my phone or the iPod or any other technology I may use.

References

Koo, H. Y. (2011). Development and effects of a prevention program for cell phone addiction in middle school students. Journal of Korean Academy of Child Health Nursing, 17(2), 91-99.

Roberts, J., Yaya, L., & Manolis, C. (2014). The invisible addiction: Cell-phone activities and addiction among male and female college students. Journal of behavioral addictions, 3(4), 254-265.

Ryan, T., Chester, A., Reece, J., & Xenos, S. (2014). The uses and abuses of Facebook: A review of Facebook addiction.