How to DISENGAGE from MOBILE

The use of the mobile phone is postulated as an essential tool in the life of every human being, due to its multiple functions it facilitates routine and atypical activities: a device that offers alarm clock, flashlight, video and photo camera, calendar, calculator, calorie control, GPS, mailbox, calls, messages and dozens of others more. These advantages that it offers us also have side effects like everything we consume, in this case, nomophobia or mobile addiction. In the following Psychology-Online article we share what is nomophobia or mobile addiction and what are its characteristics and negative consequences on our quality of life. If you feel identified and ask yourself how to unhook from the mobile, keep reading.

Index

1. Nomophobia or mobile addiction
2. Why are social media so addictive?
3. Consequences of excessive mobile use
4. 7 Tips to unhook from the mobile

The nomophobia it is characterized by an exacerbated and intrusive fear of being without a cell phone for a period of time. It can manifest itself with some of the following symptoms:

• Anxiety recurrent, often manifesting with noradrenergic symptoms (excessive sweating or abnormal, motor restlessness, tachycardia, increased respiratory rate, dilated Pupils). These symptoms occur when you don't have the phone nearby.
• Obsessive ideas often end in compulsions; they feel so desperate and end up check the mobile countless times.
• At times it is necessary to focus attention on other important activities such as work or academic, personal interest, while eating or even in the bathroom they end up using the mobile and express feeling stressed for not being able to concentrate or on some occasions they report not having enough time.
• People with nomophobia are constantly pending of any notification from your mobile (messages, whatsapp, I like them on their social networks and they have these as a priority in their activities).
• Arriving at the customary bedtime, they prefer to use the mobile and end resting less time than usual (for example, they plan to go to sleep at 10 p.m. but need to keep watching the news or notifications from your phone that ends up checking it and sleeping three or four hours later.
• They feel burdened for being in a place where they have very low or no coverage on the phone.
• They feel downcast and stressed when the battery level is decreasing and in many cases they spend hours with the charger connected while they are using it.
• In social gatherings he is attentive or in constant use of the mobile phone.
• Using the telephone from when he wakes up until he goes to bed to sleep.

With the following psychological test You will be able to see if you have a mobile addiction or not.

It is necessary to begin by explaining that our nervous system is involved in any type of addiction (for example, addiction to drugs, pornography, games and more).

Addiction and dopamine

And the neurotransmitter that is compromised in this whole process is the dopamine, a neurotransmitter that intervenes in a variety of processes such as memory, movement control, learning, sleep, attention, humor and the most important in addictions «the reward system of the brain". This neurotransmitter us motivates us to satisfy our needs and wishes (for example, eat a slice of pizza, since it anticipates how we will feel when fulfilling that wish). Dopamine makes us want something, look for it, want it.

Reward and Survival

This reward system of the brain that motivates us to do what we love was a form of the phylogenetic evolution of ensure that we looked for what we needed (for example, if we were thirsty, we looked for water) so it is not strange that what it is us necessary to live or to perpetuate the species it also brings us a pleasure like having sex or eating.

A study by Kent Berridge, an American professor. Rats deprived of brain dopamine release (ATV) were found to lose the urge to eat, although had the food in front of them they did not eat it which caused these rats to starve as they did not feel the motivation to eat (abulia).

The cause of social media addiction

So social networks use this system of our brain to their advantage; those immediate and constant rewards provided by social networks (for example, receiving a like, a comment, receiving a new follower gives us a small amount of dopamine).

The same Sean Parker, co-founder of Facebook said in an interview "we give you a little dopamine hit" we give you a small amount of dopamine. Also referring that this constant stimulation provided by social media was part of a very well designed strategy that exploited one of the great vulnerabilities of human psychology. So he ends up saying that they were aware of creating something Very addictive.

Skinner's experiment applied to social media

Burrhus Frederic Skinner, American psychologist (1904-1990), makes an experiment likewise with rats.

He put the mice in a box where they had to press a lever to receive a prize (food), the curious thing about the experiment is that when these mice pressed the lever they could pass three things:

• that they received a small amount of food
• that they received a large quantity of food
• that they received nothing at all

The result of the experiment is that unlike a group of mice that pressed a lever and always received food, those that did not know the amount of food they would receive and when they were going to receive it, they squeezed the lever much more compulsively, that is, the more unexpected a greater prize was, the need for the mouse to check if it had received that prize. In social networks we constantly check notifications because we never know when there will be a notification or who it will be.

The most obvious consequence is called nomophobia, an irrational and excessive fear, but in addition to this we share others:

• Uncontrollable addiction.
• Illnesses or physical ailments such as constant headaches, eye problems, muscle aches, joint pain.
• Insomnia.
• Problems or alterations in eating behavior.
• Affectation in interpersonal relationships.
• Loss of empathy.
• Depression and / or anxiety.
• Loss of time from work, rest, activities, relationships, etc.

The following article addresses the issue of consequences of mobile addiction.

Seeing the consequences of spending excessive hours with the mobile phone, surely you wonder how you can unhook yourself from the mobile phone and social networks. Below you will find tips to make a responsible use of technology and not get absorbed by social networks:

1. Do physical activity

Try to carry out physical activities not as a distraction but as a source of dopamine that allows us to regulate the use of the mobile. They should be very enjoyable activities like playing sports, going to the gym, taking dance classes, or walking the dog.

2. Maintain face-to-face social relationships

Get in touch, meet, and make plans with loved ones in person. Visit the family, go out to eat with a friend, invite your partner or friends to dinner, go for a walk or do any activity that interests you.

3. Do not take the mobile to the table

Do not take the mobile to the table, avoid placing it on top of it. Enjoy the food either with or without company. Eat with full awareness and presence in the present.

4. Use airplane mode

The reward circuit of the brain can be modified but it must be worked like any addiction to avoid withdrawal symptoms: the reductions must be gradual and measured. For this, airplane mode can be used during periods of the day.

5. Turn off the mobile

At times when some activity is taking place. For example, you can turn off your mobile during meals or during family or social gatherings.

6. Find and treat the cause

It is somewhat more complex, but you need to explore in depth and with the help of a professional what the mobile represents in your life. Its excessive use may be related as a means to avoid Introspection issues that can be emotionally painful. It is time to take care of all these pending matters.

7. Treat yourself well

Do not blame yourself, do not pretend to be in control of your imperative need for mobile use. Wanting to be in control will only make the symptoms worse and you despair, which will be of no benefit. Following the advice above, allow yourself to spend time with yourself, with the things you like to do and listen to yourself. Do not look for control, look for a discipline that can be overcome in your life. Little by little you will see the result of that better planning of your time.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to unhook from the mobile, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

• Burrhus F. Skinner. (1978). Reflections on behaviorism and society. Editorial Trillas. Barcelona.