Cell Phone Addiction - a Growing Social Problem - Essay Example

Cell phone Addiction a Growing Social Problem. Addiction is defined as the uncontrollable use of one habit, substance or behavior and in the ultimate it is not good for one’s health. Some examples of addictive behaviors include playing video games, alcoholism and texting on the mobile phone. Individuals addicted to a habit usually feel a compelling desire to engage in the habit even when they well know the associated health problems or legal ramifications. discovery of the mobile phone was received with a sigh of relief for dramatically revolutionized and eased communication between individuals from any part of the world, change the way business is transacted and made the world a global village. But studies in the recent few years have associated the mobile phone with undesirable behavior especially among the youth and college students who are found to be on their phones for at least nine hours in a single day. This raises the question especially among behavioral scientists of whether mobile phone usage can become addictive. Even with the numerous advantages, mobile phone usage increasingly being associated with behaviors which are harmful to health and with the potential of being disturbing. Research for instance has associated the use of cell phones while driving with accidents. A wide of body of information is available to suggest the use of cell phones while on the wheel reduces ones capacity to be attentive even in cases there are hands-free devices. Many countries have even gone ahead to ban the use of phones while driving but many people still continue with the habit. In an ironic turn there is evidence of phones turning from their important role of supporting social exchanges to an object obstructing the same. Just many people have found themselves in instances where their mobile phone usage has disturbed their good social exchange. As such, just like smoking the use of mobile phones is increasingly receiving bans in public places e.g. in libraries. On the overall cell phone usage is increasingly becoming associated with antisocial and potentially dangerous behaviors as well as the uncontrollable usage and signs of dependence. it is for these reasons that researchers and clinical practitioners must be aware of the availability of instruments to measure problematic use, socio-demographic and psychological factors thought to play a significant role in mobile phone addiction. Phones were initially solely for communities purposes in terms of calls but the emergence of smart phones allows wider usage of the gadgets. People can now access the internet via their cell phones, play games, watch videos, gable and visit social networking sites such as face book without any limitations. Such are some of the factors behind the observed overuse and addiction to mobile phones among many people. People are tending to attach a lot of importance to the cell phone because of the multiple functionalities and ultimately becoming dependent. It continues to become a significant concern that cell phone usage can easily become excessive or uncontrollable and comes with adverse effects on the user’s life. Financial problems have been cited widely as a negative outcome associated with the overuse of mobile phones. Sleep dependence is another advice impact and phone use has become an addiction just like other addictions which are non-chemical such as gambling, video-gaming and compulsive shopping. Most of the studies points at this trend have been carried out in Asia and Australia; signs of addiction especially in young adults and youth include lack of control on their usage, expectancies of mood regulation and cravings. Surveys conducted recently in Switzerland showed a good that 30% of participating individuals openly described themselves as being addicted to the use of mobile phones. According to (Roberts et al, 2014) some of the users of mobile phones have shown signs similar to those shown by drug addicts. Some of them will use the phone when they want to lift their moods and as such will take quite some good amount of time on the phone in order to attain the level of enjoyment desired. Such people will be found to show anxiety and panic attacks, signs tantamount to withdrawal when they lose their phones or run low on battery. Excessive use of the cell phone may interfere with normal life, affect relationships or even cause conflicts with other people. Even with such social costs, it is not very easy for most people to cut down on the time spent on the phone. Indeed it may not be a very simple thing for individuals to stop the unhealthy use of cell phones on their own volition. But some psychologists and behavioral scientists hold that there is no sufficient evidence to link phone usage with addiction. according to (Tracii Ryan et al, 2014), excessive usage and withdrawal fall in the class of behaviors considered as signs of addiction but are many other symptoms are required in order to make a diagnosis. Those who opine that excessive usage of mobile phones is does not satisfy the criteria for an addiction argue that the habit of overusing the phones may just be an indication of the real addiction. The dysfunctional and potentially dangerous behavior may lie in the underlying reason for overusing the phone such as playing video games online and such should be the behavior to target, not addiction to the phone. In such a case, the cell phone is just the gadget used by the individuals to satisfy their desires of playing the video games on the internet. The argument by those opposed to classifying excessive usage of cell phones as a an addiction is agreeable but also falls short of recognizing that fact the object is the mobile phone which aids users in accessing whatever may be considered dysfunctional behavior. It is important to consider that in assessing an individual’s record, the profile, actual usage of the cell phone and problematic usage are considered. despite the fact that there may not be a standard scale for measuring all the possible factors behind mobile phone addiction there is a significant body of research point at addictions and as such it is not a problem to be taken lightly. Addiction to the internet and online gaming was not present before the advent of the cell phone and therefore the mobile is an important part of the addiction. In conclusion therefore the mobile phone has been associated with the antisocial behavior of addiction despite the many advantages that came with it. Adolescents, young adults and college students are spending more time on their cell phones than what they spent sleeping. Research now points at mobile addiction with symptoms of withdrawal, excessive use and anxiety in case the phone is withdrawn being on the increase. The habit may cause relational problems and cause conflicts with other people. Yet many people will not stop the overuse of mobile phones on their own. Mobile phone addiction is therefore a real social issue that should be addressed before it escalates further. Works Cited. 1. James A. Roberts, et al. “The Invisible Addiction: Cell-Phone Activities and Addiction Among Male and Female College Students.” Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2014. DOI: 10.1556/JBA.3.2014.015 2. Joel Billieux. “Problematic Use of the Mobile Phone: A Literature Review and a Pathways Model.” Bentham Science Publishers, 2012. available at: http://www.uclep.be/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Pub/Billieux_CPR_2012.pdf 3. Tracii Ryan, et al. “The Uses and Abuses of Facebook: A review of Facebook Addiction.” Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2014. DOI: 10.1556/JBA.3.2014.016 Read More