Dubai
Smartphone addiction is on the rise. We have all heard that. But, what truly is this addiction?
Christina Burmeister, a clinical counsellor based in Dubai, explains that behavioural addictions are not an official diagnosis. However, there are some key points that might help you know whether you have a smartphone ‘addiction’ or not.
She said: “One sign is if you have a strong desire to use your phone or internet that you cannot control, even if you know it would be better not to, such as in meetings or at family gatherings. Or if you have difficulty in controlling the actual use of your phone, such as using it for longer than you intended to.”
Apart from those, if you feel uncomfortable or even anxious when you do not have your phone with you is a telltale sign of addiction. You could end up neglecting your “friends, family, work or hobbies” in favour of using your phone.
According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, mobile phone use is partially to blame for distracted driving, which is a major cause of accidents globally, including in the UAE. According to Burmeister, using your phones in a situation in which it is physically harmful, such as while driving, is another sure sign of addiction.
She said: “Knowing that it has a negative impact on all areas of your life, but continuing to use it as much as possible is worrying. Initially, using your phone might give you a sense of happiness. It ‘tricks’ you into stopping doing the things you usually love, like physically spending time with friends. The less you do these things, the less you have the opportunity to do them.
“People stop calling, you feel like you are losing your friends or you lose the will to go to the gym. You start to feel worse about your life, so, you go back to your phone, because it seems to make you feel better. This starts a vicious cycle.”
In her opinion, the most important step is to recognise that you are ‘addicted’. The next step is to decide to change your behaviour.
Karen Anne Hope Andrews, a clinical psychologist based in Dubai, agrees and goes on to explain that smartphones are distracting our minds. When a person returns to a task after using their phones, they make “resumption errors”.
She said: “Research seems to suggest a link between smartphone use and cognitive functions, and this relationship is negatively correlated. It seems that the more time we spend on our smartphones, the less we are able to pay sustained attention to a task at hand. This means we take longer to complete tasks and we are more likely to make errors in our work.”
When we engage with a smartphone rather than with real-life interactions and experiences, we also seem to learn and remember less from our experiences.
Additionally, smartphone use may interfere with the amount that we sleep, or make us live more sedentary lives and this may have a negative impact on our ability to work, study or focus in general.
She said: “When someone is always attached to their phone, and its use causes social or financial difficulties, addiction is clear. Online relationships lack the depth and meaning of real-life interactions, and the dopamine reward of pleasure in the brain every time we see a ‘like’ may increase our narcissistic tendencies.”
