This Scientific Test Will Tell You How Addicted You Are To Your Smartphone

DESCRIPTION

Do your students have smartphone addiction? NOMOPHOBIA  means no mobile phone phobia.  “It refers to fear of not being able to use a smartphone … [and] it refers to the fear of not being able to communicate, losing the connectedness that smartphones allow, not being able to access information through smartphones, and giving up the convenience that smartphones provide.”  The Huffington Post reports a study and provides the actual questionnaire from an actual scientific study (see below).   The questionnaire can be administered very easily and then discussed in class.  I suggest that it be used with an app such as Poll Everywhere so that the results can be viewed on line in class.  The topic opens up to a discussion of addiction, phobia, and anxiety disorders.

SOURCE

The Huffington Post, Posted: 05/18/2015,  By Carolyn Gregoire

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/18/nomophobia-smartphone-sep_n_7266468.html?ir=Science?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003

(shortened URL)   http://tinyurl.com/mkwcgfp

Original Study:

iPhone separation linked to physiological anxiety, poor cognitive performance

Russell B. Clayton, Glenn Leshner, Anthony Almond (2015),  The Extended iSelf: The Impact of iPhone Separation on Cognition, Emotion, and Physiology. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 2015; DOI: 10.1111/jcc4.12109

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•What is a phobia?  What are the symptoms?
•Do individuals with “nomophobia” experience the same symptoms as those diagnosed as an actual disorder?
•What causes this condition?
•Can this actually be considered an addiction?  That is, for those who cannot put down their phones or who appear to have separation symptoms, does this condition affect them like withdrawal?
•Brainstorm:  how would an individual overcome nomophobia?
•This survey method also opens up questions regarding methodology and research in Psychology.  This can also be a focus of discussion.