8 signs you struggle with nomophobia on a daily basis
We all joke about being obsessed with our phones, but some researchers are starting to think that this addiction is an actual thing. Scientists think that some people should check for the signs to see if you struggle with nomophobia on the daily. The word was coined in 2010 in the U.K. and is short for “no mobile phone.” Cute, right? The term can be a little misleading, though, since phobia suggests an actual fear of being without it, and some doctors actually think it’s more of an anxiety disorder. But there’s a super thin line between fear and anxiety anyway, so we’re rolling with it.
So how do you know if you suffer from nomophobia or just really like texting GIFs all day?
Researchers have come up with a questionnaire that asks questions like how and why you use your phone and how you would feel without it. So most of us suffer from some level of nomophobia probably.
We all depend on our phones to do pretty much anything, so being without it means losing everything. In fact, according to Scientific American, researchers think that the attachment to our phones is the same as an attachment to a relationship partner. Like, our phones trigger all same parts of our brain as another human being that we love. That’s pretty sick if you think about it. But it’s totally true!
Here are some of the signs you struggle with nomophobia. Try not to feel too bad about it.
1You do The Check.
You know The Check: when you frantically pat yourself down and check in your bag to make sure you still have your phone. (Of course, that’s usually when you realize your phone is actually in your hand.)
2You literally dream about it.
Anxiety dreams are real. Back in the day, they might have centered around finishing all your term papers or showing up naked to school. Now, your biggest nightmare is chasing down your phone in a weird, twisted dream.
3You legit freak out when you don’t have your phone.
You can measure your level of nomophobia by how aggressive and seriously you react when you can’t find your phone right away. Have you ever actually accused someone of knowing where it was, like your anxiety over not having your phone was bordering on paranoia that its absence is some kind of low-key conspiracy?
4You can’t sleep without it.
The worst thing is getting all settled in and cozy in bed and then having to get up and turn off the hall light or pee. But you’re never mad about the extremely important task of having to get up and find your phone so you can charge that thing under your pillow, and scroll through memes until you nod off.
5It’s in the middle of all your conversations.
You can’t have a conversation with even your best friends without your phone being a part of it. Whether you insist on googling the answer to something you’re all arguing about or walking the crew through every single text message you’ve sent to your crush, your phone is basically the newest member of your squad.
6You truly believe in no phone left behind.
On the rare occasion that you do forget your phone at home, no matter how far away you already are, you will turn around. Like, you actually consider that a hella legit reason to be late for work or a date. (Which is totally is, by the way.)
7You’ll break the rules.
When you’re in a place that that doesn’t allow phones or you’re told to put it away, you can’t resist sneaking a peek at your notifications, tweeting about how shitty the no-phone rules are, and taking a selfie to post later on.
8No service, no game.
You are acutely aware of what places you frequent get good service and are all over the wifi passwords. Because how are you supposed to enjoy a cup of coffee or a meal at a restaurant without your phone? If nomophobia is bad, we don’t wanna be good. Well, we kinda do, but we honestly don’t know how.