It’s a common sight - commuters with their necks arched, gazing intently into their mobile phones.
Ninety-four percent of adults now use a mobile phone and they have become a staple accessory in most people’s lives.
And now that most people have mobile Wi-Fi, the average smartphone user spends over two hours a day using their mobile.
Around 43 minutes is spent both browsing the internet and checking social networks, with less time spent calling and texting.
To combat the issue of excessive mobile phone use, the Samaritans have deemed today Phone Free Friday.
Samaritans Fundraising Press Officer Claire Duncan told us they want to bring awareness of their organisation while making people think.
“We wanted something fun but challenging and think this is something difficult to do but with great reward as we’d be raising vital funds for the Samaritans.”
The risks
Use of mobile phones is known to be associated with very low risk health problems such as the effect of radiation and repetitive strain injuries. But the psychological effects are less understood.
Doctors have begun to diagnose the symptoms of overuse as ‘problematic mobile phone use’, a condition that cause inner anxiety and puts a strain on our relationships.
Dr George Fieldman, a Chartered Psychologist, says it’s hard for mobile phone users to disconnect from outside worries.
“Anxiety is rife in the population. Certainly when the phone rings, anxiety is increased, particularly if one is of an anxious disposition, or if one has things to worry about such as debt thoughts. Others such as calls from bosses will cause anxiety and there’s this feeling that you’re never free.”
As well as making us more anxious, mobile phone use can also make us more selfish according to a study from the University of Maryland.
The researchers found that after a short period of mobile phone use subjects were less inclined to volunteer for community service.
Another study in the United States found that excessive phone users commonly suffered from headaches, irritability and anger.
Some scientists have said excessive mobile phone use mirrors consumption pathologies like compulsive buying.
Eighty-four percent of us say we can’t go for a whole day without our phones, and most of us check our phones 150 times a day.
British people are the second most prolific social media users in Europe, behind the Netherlands. The addictive effects of social media have been widely reported, with one study saying Facebook withdrawals trigger the same response as withdrawing from drugs.
With the range of mobile phones available increasing and the ability of phones to perform ever more functions, it looks like the amount of time we spend on mobile phones will only increase for the foreseeable future.
(VoR)
