Smartphone Addiction and its Impact

Excessive use of smartphones can lead to various problems. Smartphone addiction is more common among females, finds recent study.

Smartphone addiction could lead to various problems, females are more likely to exhibit addiction, finds a recent research from Binghamton University - State University of New York.//

"Our smartphones have turned into a tool that provides short, quick, immediate satisfaction, which is very triggering," said Isaac Vaghefi, assistant professor of management information systems at Binghamton University-State University of New York.

Addiction to Your Smartphone Can Rob Off Your Sleep
Excessive addiction to smart-phones and the chats and e-reading sessions that keep you plugged right up to your bed time might be eating up into your sleep.

‘Smartphone addiction can lead to various personal, social and workplace problems. Females are more likely susceptible to smartphone addiction.’

"Our neurons get fired and dopamine is being released, and over time this makes us acquire a desire for quick feedback and immediate satisfaction. This process also has contributed to developing shorter attention spans and being more and more prone to boredom."

Vaghefi and his colleagues recently surveyed 182 college students and asked them to report their daily routine of smartphone usage. Based on the analysis of the responses, they classified the user as one of the following types: Thoughtful, Regular, Highly Engaged, Fanatic and Addict. Seven percent identified as "addicts" and 12 percent identified as "fanatics." Both groups experience personal, social and workplace problems due to a compulsive need to be on their smartphones.

Overall, these users exhibited signs that could indicate depression, social isolation, social anxiety, shyness, impulsivity and low self-esteem. Females were most likely to exhibit susceptibility to addiction.

Your Smartphone Might be Responsible for ADHD!
Smartphone notifications can influence people’s mind, contributing to ADHD. Switching the phones to silent mode can minimize the effects of smartphone interruptions.

"Technology addiction" is not an official mental disorder in DSM-V, but the umbrella term refers to addictive behavior related to social media, excessive texting, information overload, online shopping, gambling, video gaming, online pornography and overall smartphone usage.

"While self-identified "addict" users were in the minority, I predict technology addiction will increase as technology continues to advance an application, game and gadget developers find new ways to ensure users' long term engagement with technology," said Vaghefi.

How Smartphones can Affect Relationship Between Parent and Child
Parents struggle to balance family time and the desire to be present at home with technology-based expectations like responding to work and other demands.

Vaghefi said that if you recognize any of these signs, you may want to consult professional help:

You use technology as a way of escaping problems or relieving feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety or depression.
You ignore what's happening in real time in favor of what's happening virtually.
You constantly check your smartphone, even when it doesn't ring or vibrate.
You get paranoid when you do not have your smartphone with you.

The paper, "A typology of user liability to IT addiction," was published in Information Systems Journal.

Smartphones can Replace Expensive Equipment Used for Live Cell Imaging
Live imaging of cells is a very powerful tool for the study of cells, to learn about how cells respond to different treatments such as drugs or toxins.

Source-Eurekalert