Smartphone Addiction is a Real Thing

Here’s Why you Should Care about it

We know we’re all addicted to our phones. It’s almost like a truth we’ve just come to accept. But why don’t we take this addiction seriously? Can it really be just as damaging as a drug or alcohol addiction? Well, I did some digging, and here’s what I found.

Surprisingly enough, smartphone addiction is not recognized as an actual mental health issue in the medical field. But that could be changing soon.

“There is no standardized format for determining addiction for phones, so it is unclear what they are talking about specifically. If there is not a standard or accepted view of it, past general consensus without any appropriate or identified markers, then it really is hard to say one is measuring addiction.” — psychologist Anthony Bean, PhD.

However, research is starting to show actual brain changes in those who use their smart phones for several hours a day. According to CNN.com nomophobia is a 21st-century term for the fear of not being able to use your cell phone or other smart device.

Cell phone addiction is on the rise, surveys show, and a new study released Thursday adds to a growing body of evidence that smartphone and internet addiction is harming our minds in more ways than one.