Cell phone addiction: Is it time to change your habits?

What’s the first thing you do in the morning?

Chances are, it’s looking at your phone. That’s where your alarm clock app is, after all. 

But you might stay on after hitting snooze, checking for notifications on social media, and scanning your email inbox. And once you’ve got a cup of coffee ready, you play a daily crossword and check the weather. 

As the day continues, you may keep turning to your phone — it’s your personal assistant, source of entertainment, and main form of communication. 

Around 97% of Americans own a mobile phone because they’ve become an extension of daily life. But depending so much on a single device for work and play can blur the lines between your digital and physical self and make it difficult to distinguish an unhealthy addiction from regular use. 

Let’s explore the common signs and symptoms of cell phone addiction, the negative effects of pathological overuse, and tools to build a healthier relationship with your device.

What’s the definition of cell phone addiction?

Experts describe cell phone addiction as a loss of control and difficulty avoiding cell phone usage, despite negative consequences. 

The rapid rise of mobile devices means that scientists haven’t studied cell phone use in complete depth. However, experts do recognize a few mental disorders connected to smartphone usage, including: 

• Nomophobia: Discomfort or anxiety caused by separation from your own smartphone or feeling disconnected from online spaces.
• Textaphrenia: Auditory hallucinations and delusions in which you believe you’ve heard a notification or felt your phone vibrating. People suffering from textaphrenia may check their phones more than eight times an hour for text messages, even if there are none.

Much of the existing research on cell phone addiction focuses on adolescents and young adults. Younger generations grew up in online spaces and are naturally predisposed to novelty-seeking and a lack of self-control, putting them at a higher risk for smartphone addiction. However, adults can also develop and experience the consequences of technology addiction. 

Certain mental health afflictions or personality traits may make people more susceptible to excessive cell phone use. Vulnerable groups include:

• People living with depression
• People struggling with anxiety or social anxiety
• People with an external locus of control
• People who are more materialistic
• People with previous substance use problems
• People with low self-esteem
• People with impulsive tendencies

Why are cell phones addictive? 

Cell phones are just objects, so they aren’t inherently addictive. But the social aspect of mobile technologies stimulates an evolutionary urge deep within your social brain. Humans yearn for other people to see, hear, and guide them, and social media and digital communication feed that yearning. 

When you have successful social interactions, your brain pumps your body with dopamine, a happy hormone important to motivation. The hit of dopamine rewards a successful interaction and motivates you to repeat it. 

At nearly every moment of the day, you carry a device in your pocket with an unlimited supply of possible social rewards. Every new follower on Twitter, “like” on your social media post or heart emoji reaction for a meme you sent to a friend can potentially activate your positive reward stimulus.

Tech companies understand the potential to activate your reward center and build algorithms to keep smartphone users on their phones. So if you get stuck doom-scrolling on Twitter or spending hours looking at TikToks, it’s not your fault — it’s part of the design.

10 signs and symptoms of cell phone addiction

Cell phones are pervasive, and screen time could occupy enough of your day that it’s difficult to differentiate between regular use and addictive behaviors. 

Let’s explore 10 common signs of cell phone addiction:

• You use your smartphone to remove yourself from work or a difficult task
• You feel more impatient with daily life disturbances, like waiting in line or getting stuck in traffic
• You feel a heightened sense of stress and anxiety when you use your cell phone
• You feel overwhelmed with guilt when you can’t return calls or messages
• You feel a lack of control over your smartphone use or are unable to stop scrolling, checking social media, or sending messages
• You have a short attention span and instinctively turn to your phone when you’re alone or bored
• You lose track of time on social networks, games, or other digital activities
• You withdraw from physical stimuli and distance yourself during social gatherings 
• You spend too much time on your phone before bed, which has lowered your sleep quality
• Your phone use has led to accidents or injuries, or close calls when driving or doing other activities

Consequences of cell phone addiction

When you can’t log off from your digital life, you may have difficulty socializing or wanting to re-enter the “real world.” Too much mobile phone use can also take a toll on your mental health and physical well-being, including: 

1. Lack of healthy sleep: A sleep and cell phone use meta-analysis found that using your phone before sleep can delay your bedtime and disrupt your sleep-wake patterns, and that games or media can energize your mind and keep you from sleeping. If you don’t treat poor sleep hygiene, you’ll likely feel frequent bouts of drowsiness during the day or develop insomnia.
2. Poor work performance: A phone may become your preferred escape when life gets hard. Over time, you might use your phone so much that you could find it difficult to focus, work efficiently, and complete your tasks on time. 
3. Mental strain: Several studies have shown that excessive cell phone use can cause stress while using your phone and also lead to anxiety and depression. The issue can become circular: the more you experience negative emotions, the more likely you might be to turn to your cell phone for comfort.
4. Problems with relationships: Connecting through your cell phone could cause you to disconnect during real-world interactions. Frequent disassociation from social interactions can cause tension with your coworkers, friends, and loved ones, who might feel like you’re ignoring them. 
5. Serious accidents: Distracted drivers claimed the lives of more than 3,500 people in 2021. People with a cell phone addiction are more likely to text and drive or do other activities on their phones when their eyes should be on the road. 

How to break cell phone addiction

Like any substance or behavioral addiction, you might need help from a professional to evaluate and take steps to heal a cell phone addiction. A therapist or coach can help you identify the root of the problem, create a supportive space, and make a plan to move forward. 

Here are three options to consider:

• Therapy: Depending on the severity of your cell phone addiction, a psychologist or behavioral therapist can help you develop self-awareness around your habits. Depending on the issue's root cause, a therapist may help you with behavior modification, improving social skills, or conditioning. 
• Behavioral coach: A behavioral coach can help you identify the patterns of excessive cell phone use that you want to change. Together, you set goals and a clear action plan to provide you with measurable steps toward a positive relationship with your device. 
• Support group: Knowing that you’re not alone in your addiction can be a helpful part of recovery. Support groups let you connect with people in similar situations and share experiences. 

Extra tips to prevent cell phone addiction

If you want to reduce your cell phone usage, creating habits that separate you from your smartphone is a good first step. Unplugging for a few hours or establishing screen-free times in your household can help you reconnect to yourself, your work, and your social network. 

To control your cell phone use and change your behavior, you can also: 

1. Check your usage: Start by determining which apps take up most of your attention. Seeing the amount of time you’re spending on individual apps can help you identify your weaknesses and create a digital detox plan. 
2. Download no-distraction apps: You can download systems that won’t let you open certain apps, either all the time or during scheduled hours. Consider blocking access to apps that distract you during work hours or around bedtime to improve your focus. 
3. Put your phone in another room: Simply having your phone in your pocket or on your desk can drive down your concentration and performance — whether you compulsively pick it up or not. To regain your capacity to learn, reason, and think creatively, leave your phone in another room, preferably in silent mode. 
4. Use your computer: Disconnect your work apps from your cell phone and use them on your work computer. It’ll help you be more intentional during the workday and create a stronger work-life balance. 
5. Put it on sleep mode: If your phone usage is affecting your sleep, set your phone to automatically go into sleep mode an hour or two before bedtime. Consider leaving it outside your bedroom or purchasing an alarm clock so you don’t need to keep it nearby. The lack of stimulation will help you get to sleep earlier, develop a better sleep routine, and get a quality night’s rest.
6. Resist notifications: Turn off notifications for any non-necessary apps to save yourself from the temptation of constant pings. And fight the temptation to check your phone as soon as a notification comes through. Positively reinforcing your ability to resist will show you that you can control your mobile usage. 
7. Take up a hobby: Find a hobby in your free time that requires your full physical or mental attention, like aerobic exercise, cooking, or painting. Getting absorbed in a hobby rather than an infinite scroll can help you access your authentic self and engage in an activity that promotes mental well-being. 
8. Designate no-phone zones: If you work in an office or coworking space, establish no-phone zones or hours to promote a supportive, focused environment. The group effort can help create a culture of accountability that helps everyone maintain healthy habits. 

Everything in moderation

If you’re dealing with compulsive cell phone use, it might be difficult to imagine life outside your digital world. The first step is identifying the root of your cell phone addiction and pinpointing the apps and bad routines taking over your ability to focus. 

Depending on the severity of your cell phone usage, a professional can help you create an action plan to develop good habits. But if you’d like to cut down on screentime, small adjustments in your daily life can spur a healthier relationship with your device. 

Each little decision to set aside your phone will help you improve your sleep, stay focused on the job, and bring your whole self to the workplace and your social life.