Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionWho Is at RiskSymptomsHealth EffectsHow to Break ItPreventionWhen to Seek Help
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Who Is at Risk
Symptoms
Health Effects
How to Break It
Prevention
When to Seek Help
While cell phones are integral to our daily lives and have numerous benefits, many people have developed what some researchers consider phoneaddictionsymptoms that can have negative effects on well-being. According to some research, roughly 27.9% of young adults are addicted to their cell phones.
Read on to find out more about how cell phone addiction is defined, the risks involved, and how to identify and treat it.
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What Is Phone Addiction?
Cell phone addiction may be categorized as a type of behavioral addiction that presents when a person can’t go without their cell phone, their excessive use causes adverse consequences, or they experience symptoms similar to withdrawal when they do.
While cell phone addiction is very real for the people experiencing it, it is not officially recognized as a mental health illness or an addiction in the fifth edition of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders” (DSM-5).However, it does present with similar characteristics as other behavioral addictions, such as gambling.
What Is the DSM-5?The DSM-5 is the American Psychiatric Association’s official handbook that mental health professionals use to assess and diagnose a variety of mental health disorders.
What Is the DSM-5?
The DSM-5 is the American Psychiatric Association’s official handbook that mental health professionals use to assess and diagnose a variety of mental health disorders.
There are reasons why smartphones are hard to put down. The sounds and vibrations catch our attention, and the games, notifications, social media, and messages provide instant gratification.
Smartphones offer a constant source of entertainment and distraction. Companies use persuasive design techniques with features like infinite scrolling, push notifications, and personalized content to keep us engaged and make it harder to disconnect.
Who Is at Risk of Phone Addiction?
The exact number of people addicted to their cell phones isn’t known. This is because it can be hard to quantify and many studies base their data on self-reporting methods.
Although anyone can be at risk for this type of addiction, it is most commonly found among adolescents.Some research indicates that about 20%–30% of adolescents and young adults have a phone addiction.Teens in particular use their phones with high frequency, while cell phone use tends to decrease gradually as a person gets older.
People who get phones at a younger age are also more likely to present with addictive behaviors than those who get them later in life.
Cell Phone Risk Between the SexesBoth young boys and girls are at a higher risk of developing an addiction to their cell phones, but there may be somewhat different patterns of use. Girls typically use their phones for social interaction, while boys use phones for the same reason in addition to gaming applications. Males also show a higher tendency to use their phones in risky situations.
Cell Phone Risk Between the Sexes
Both young boys and girls are at a higher risk of developing an addiction to their cell phones, but there may be somewhat different patterns of use. Girls typically use their phones for social interaction, while boys use phones for the same reason in addition to gaming applications. Males also show a higher tendency to use their phones in risky situations.
Social media addiction may go hand in hand with phone addiction. It is associated with poor sleep quality and depression.And, it is also correlated with body perception issues.
What Are the Symptoms of Phone Addiction?
Some new terms have emerged to describe the characteristics of phone addiction:
Some symptoms of phone addiction include:
Signs From OthersWhile it can be difficult to notice your own phone addiction, one telltale sign you are forming an addiction is if someone in your life mentions your phone overuse to you. They may express concern about how much you are on your phone or your behavior while you are not using it.
Signs From Others
While it can be difficult to notice your own phone addiction, one telltale sign you are forming an addiction is if someone in your life mentions your phone overuse to you. They may express concern about how much you are on your phone or your behavior while you are not using it.
What Are the Effects of Phone Addiction?
Studies show that cell phone overuse can have a negative impact on your health in a variety of ways.
Excessive smartphone use has been associated with physical and mental health problems in adolescents and young adults, including:
Some other effects of phone addiction include:
Cell Phone Addiction and DopamineCell phone addiction is similar to other types of addiction because of its effect ondopamine, a chemical in the body that causes feelings of pleasure. Cell phone use has been shown to stimulate the production and release of dopamine, which drives the need to use it more and more.
Cell Phone Addiction and Dopamine
Cell phone addiction is similar to other types of addiction because of its effect ondopamine, a chemical in the body that causes feelings of pleasure. Cell phone use has been shown to stimulate the production and release of dopamine, which drives the need to use it more and more.
How to Break the Addiction
Breaking any type of addiction isn’t easy, but it is possible.
First, you must acknowledge the issues it’s causing in your life. Once you have determined that you need to break your addiction, you can:
Tips to Beat Phone Addiction on Your OwnWhile addictions often require professional help, not all people will want to go that route. If you want to try to get over phone addiction on your own you can:Buy a cellphone lockbox that only opens after a set amount of time. This will limit your use.Remove apps that take up the majority of your time.Eliminate notifications on your phone so you aren’t summoned to check it every time a notification appears.Charge your phone in an inaccessible place so it’s harder to get to.Try to replace phone use with other activities you enjoy.Switch to a non-smartphone.
Tips to Beat Phone Addiction on Your Own
While addictions often require professional help, not all people will want to go that route. If you want to try to get over phone addiction on your own you can:Buy a cellphone lockbox that only opens after a set amount of time. This will limit your use.Remove apps that take up the majority of your time.Eliminate notifications on your phone so you aren’t summoned to check it every time a notification appears.Charge your phone in an inaccessible place so it’s harder to get to.Try to replace phone use with other activities you enjoy.Switch to a non-smartphone.
While addictions often require professional help, not all people will want to go that route. If you want to try to get over phone addiction on your own you can:
Signs of Addiction Denial
How to Prevent Phone Addiction
If your child must have a phone for safety reasons, consider buying a phone that doesn’t have the ability to download apps that may lead to addiction. This way they will still be able to contact you or their friends if they need to but will not have access to time-consuming apps.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
If you feel as though your phone use has begun to control your life, or your loved ones have mentioned their concerns to you, it may be time to seek out professional help.
Summary
Signs of phone addiction include feeling irritable or negative when going without a phone, being unable to go without a phone for long periods, or using a phone so much that it negatively affects physical health or mental health.
While phone addiction does come with negative consequences, there are ways to beat it. A person can seek out professional help through a therapist or practice control techniques that limit phone use.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.De-Sola Gutiérrez J, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Rubio G.Cell-phone addiction: A review.Front Psychiatry.2016;24(7):175. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00175American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. American Psychiatric Association; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Lin YH, Chiang CL, Lin PH, Chang LR, Ko CH, Lee YH, Lin SH.Proposed diagnostic criteria for smartphone addiction.PLoS One.2016;11(11):e0163010. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0163010Schulz van Endert T, Mohr PNC.Likes and impulsivity: Investigating the relationship between actual smartphone use and delay discounting. Xin B, ed. PLoS ONE. 2020;15(11):e0241383. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241383Chen X, Hedman A, Distler V, Koenig V.Do persuasive designs make smartphones more addictive? - A mixed-methods study on Chinese university students. Computers in Human Behavior Reports. 2023;10:100299. doi: 10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100299Pew Research Center.Mobile Fact Sheet 2021.Shoukat S.Cell phone addiction and psychological and physiological health in adolescents.EXCLI J.2019;18:47-50.yi Lin L, Sidani JE, Shensa A, et al.Association between social media use and depression among U.S. young adults: research article: social media and depression.Depress Anxiety. 2016;33(4):323-331. doi:10.1002/da.22466Çakmak S, Tanrıöver Ö.Is obesity and body perception disturbance related to social media addiction among university students?J Am Coll Health.2022 Feb 14:1-8. doi:10.1080/07448481.2022.2034832Addiction Center.Phone addiction: warning signs and treatment.Wacks Y, Weinstein AM.Excessive Smartphone Use Is Associated With Health Problems in Adolescents and Young Adults. Front Psychiatry. 2021 May 28;12:669042. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.669042Chun JW, Choi J, Kim JY, Cho H, Ahn KJ, Nam JH, Choi JS, Kim DJ.Altered brain activity and the effect of personality traits in excessive smartphone use during facial emotion processing.Sci Rep.2017;7(1):12156. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-08824-yRoberts JA, Yaya LH, Manolis C.The invisible addiction: cell-phone activities and addiction among male and female college students.J Behav Addict.2014;3(4):254-265. doi:10.1556/JBA.3.2014.015Seo HS, Jeong EK, Choi S, Kwon Y, Park HJ, Kim I.Changes of neurotransmitters in youth with internet and smartphone addiction: A comparison with healthy controls and changes after cognitive behavioral therapy.AJNR Am J Neuroradiol.2020;41(7):1293-1301. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A6632
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.De-Sola Gutiérrez J, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Rubio G.Cell-phone addiction: A review.Front Psychiatry.2016;24(7):175. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00175American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. American Psychiatric Association; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Lin YH, Chiang CL, Lin PH, Chang LR, Ko CH, Lee YH, Lin SH.Proposed diagnostic criteria for smartphone addiction.PLoS One.2016;11(11):e0163010. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0163010Schulz van Endert T, Mohr PNC.Likes and impulsivity: Investigating the relationship between actual smartphone use and delay discounting. Xin B, ed. PLoS ONE. 2020;15(11):e0241383. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241383Chen X, Hedman A, Distler V, Koenig V.Do persuasive designs make smartphones more addictive? - A mixed-methods study on Chinese university students. Computers in Human Behavior Reports. 2023;10:100299. doi: 10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100299Pew Research Center.Mobile Fact Sheet 2021.Shoukat S.Cell phone addiction and psychological and physiological health in adolescents.EXCLI J.2019;18:47-50.yi Lin L, Sidani JE, Shensa A, et al.Association between social media use and depression among U.S. young adults: research article: social media and depression.Depress Anxiety. 2016;33(4):323-331. doi:10.1002/da.22466Çakmak S, Tanrıöver Ö.Is obesity and body perception disturbance related to social media addiction among university students?J Am Coll Health.2022 Feb 14:1-8. doi:10.1080/07448481.2022.2034832Addiction Center.Phone addiction: warning signs and treatment.Wacks Y, Weinstein AM.Excessive Smartphone Use Is Associated With Health Problems in Adolescents and Young Adults. Front Psychiatry. 2021 May 28;12:669042. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.669042Chun JW, Choi J, Kim JY, Cho H, Ahn KJ, Nam JH, Choi JS, Kim DJ.Altered brain activity and the effect of personality traits in excessive smartphone use during facial emotion processing.Sci Rep.2017;7(1):12156. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-08824-yRoberts JA, Yaya LH, Manolis C.The invisible addiction: cell-phone activities and addiction among male and female college students.J Behav Addict.2014;3(4):254-265. doi:10.1556/JBA.3.2014.015Seo HS, Jeong EK, Choi S, Kwon Y, Park HJ, Kim I.Changes of neurotransmitters in youth with internet and smartphone addiction: A comparison with healthy controls and changes after cognitive behavioral therapy.AJNR Am J Neuroradiol.2020;41(7):1293-1301. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A6632
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
De-Sola Gutiérrez J, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Rubio G.Cell-phone addiction: A review.Front Psychiatry.2016;24(7):175. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00175American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. American Psychiatric Association; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Lin YH, Chiang CL, Lin PH, Chang LR, Ko CH, Lee YH, Lin SH.Proposed diagnostic criteria for smartphone addiction.PLoS One.2016;11(11):e0163010. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0163010Schulz van Endert T, Mohr PNC.Likes and impulsivity: Investigating the relationship between actual smartphone use and delay discounting. Xin B, ed. PLoS ONE. 2020;15(11):e0241383. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241383Chen X, Hedman A, Distler V, Koenig V.Do persuasive designs make smartphones more addictive? - A mixed-methods study on Chinese university students. Computers in Human Behavior Reports. 2023;10:100299. doi: 10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100299Pew Research Center.Mobile Fact Sheet 2021.Shoukat S.Cell phone addiction and psychological and physiological health in adolescents.EXCLI J.2019;18:47-50.yi Lin L, Sidani JE, Shensa A, et al.Association between social media use and depression among U.S. young adults: research article: social media and depression.Depress Anxiety. 2016;33(4):323-331. doi:10.1002/da.22466Çakmak S, Tanrıöver Ö.Is obesity and body perception disturbance related to social media addiction among university students?J Am Coll Health.2022 Feb 14:1-8. doi:10.1080/07448481.2022.2034832Addiction Center.Phone addiction: warning signs and treatment.Wacks Y, Weinstein AM.Excessive Smartphone Use Is Associated With Health Problems in Adolescents and Young Adults. Front Psychiatry. 2021 May 28;12:669042. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.669042Chun JW, Choi J, Kim JY, Cho H, Ahn KJ, Nam JH, Choi JS, Kim DJ.Altered brain activity and the effect of personality traits in excessive smartphone use during facial emotion processing.Sci Rep.2017;7(1):12156. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-08824-yRoberts JA, Yaya LH, Manolis C.The invisible addiction: cell-phone activities and addiction among male and female college students.J Behav Addict.2014;3(4):254-265. doi:10.1556/JBA.3.2014.015Seo HS, Jeong EK, Choi S, Kwon Y, Park HJ, Kim I.Changes of neurotransmitters in youth with internet and smartphone addiction: A comparison with healthy controls and changes after cognitive behavioral therapy.AJNR Am J Neuroradiol.2020;41(7):1293-1301. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A6632
De-Sola Gutiérrez J, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Rubio G.Cell-phone addiction: A review.Front Psychiatry.2016;24(7):175. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00175
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. American Psychiatric Association; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
Lin YH, Chiang CL, Lin PH, Chang LR, Ko CH, Lee YH, Lin SH.Proposed diagnostic criteria for smartphone addiction.PLoS One.2016;11(11):e0163010. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0163010
Schulz van Endert T, Mohr PNC.Likes and impulsivity: Investigating the relationship between actual smartphone use and delay discounting. Xin B, ed. PLoS ONE. 2020;15(11):e0241383. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241383
Chen X, Hedman A, Distler V, Koenig V.Do persuasive designs make smartphones more addictive? - A mixed-methods study on Chinese university students. Computers in Human Behavior Reports. 2023;10:100299. doi: 10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100299
Pew Research Center.Mobile Fact Sheet 2021.
Shoukat S.Cell phone addiction and psychological and physiological health in adolescents.EXCLI J.2019;18:47-50.
yi Lin L, Sidani JE, Shensa A, et al.Association between social media use and depression among U.S. young adults: research article: social media and depression.Depress Anxiety. 2016;33(4):323-331. doi:10.1002/da.22466
Çakmak S, Tanrıöver Ö.Is obesity and body perception disturbance related to social media addiction among university students?J Am Coll Health.2022 Feb 14:1-8. doi:10.1080/07448481.2022.2034832
Addiction Center.Phone addiction: warning signs and treatment.
Wacks Y, Weinstein AM.Excessive Smartphone Use Is Associated With Health Problems in Adolescents and Young Adults. Front Psychiatry. 2021 May 28;12:669042. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.669042
Chun JW, Choi J, Kim JY, Cho H, Ahn KJ, Nam JH, Choi JS, Kim DJ.Altered brain activity and the effect of personality traits in excessive smartphone use during facial emotion processing.Sci Rep.2017;7(1):12156. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-08824-y
Roberts JA, Yaya LH, Manolis C.The invisible addiction: cell-phone activities and addiction among male and female college students.J Behav Addict.2014;3(4):254-265. doi:10.1556/JBA.3.2014.015
Seo HS, Jeong EK, Choi S, Kwon Y, Park HJ, Kim I.Changes of neurotransmitters in youth with internet and smartphone addiction: A comparison with healthy controls and changes after cognitive behavioral therapy.AJNR Am J Neuroradiol.2020;41(7):1293-1301. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A6632
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