AN UPTREND AMONG STUDENTS: NOMOPHOBIA

Ms.Neetu Gilbert
Page No. 25-29

The term Nomophobia or No Mobile Phone Phobia is the biggest non- drug addiction of the 21st
century. It is described as a psychological condition when people have a fear of being detached
from mobile phone connectivity. The term Nomophobia is constructed on definitions described in
the DSM-IV, it has been labelled as a “phobia for a particular/specific things”. Various
psychological factors are involved when a person overuses the mobile phone, e.g., low self-esteem,
extrovert personality. The burden of this problem is now increasing globally. Other mental disorders
like, social phobia or social anxiety, and panic disorder may also precipitate nomophobic
symptoms. It is very difficult to differentiate whether the patient become nomophobic due to mobile
phone addiction or existing anxiety disorders manifest as nomophobicsymptoms. The signs and
symptoms are observed in nomophobiacases include- anxiety, respiratory alterations, trembling,
perspiration, agitation,disorientation and tachycardia. The complexity of this condition is very
challenging to the patients' family members as well as for the physicians as NOMOPHOBIA shares
common clinical symptoms with otherdisorders.
Keywords : NOMOPHOBIA, phone addiction.