What in the world ?

WHATWHAT ININ THETHE

Nomophobia

We all have fears; they can be big or small. Some people are afraid of the dark, some are afraid of fire and most are afraid of spiders. But did you know there is also an increasing fear of losing mobile devices? So much so that this even has a name. Nomophobia is a term used to describe an ever increasing fear in our technologically advanced world — the fear of not having a mobile device, or in some cases beyond phone contact.

Needless to say, our world is constantly coming up with newer and more sophisticated technologies. There are now wireless chargers, Bluetooth headphones, and (one I discovered recently) levitating Bluetooth speakers! Now, living in a world full of fancy gadgets does most definitely have its advantages; however, because we rely so much on electronics to get through the day, we may become almost entirely dependant on them. Among high school students, Nomophobia is on the rise. It has gotten to a stage that a rapidly increasing number of college students now shower, eat, and sleep with their devices next to them at all times.

WORLD?!WORLD?!

In addition to this, an alarming number of the younger generation would rather lose a finger than their precious device, and even rely more on digital platforms to communicate with friends and family.

What can we do to avoid completely fusing ourselves to our devices? Well there are actually quite a few ways to go about this. But the most important thing, is to balance your screen time.

To do this:

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I hope you have a go at implementing these ideas, or make up you own!

Have certain periods of time where you don ’t allow yourself to look at the screen - this could be something you do an hour before sleeping. Have a system - for every hour you spend, have as much human interaction, if not more! And lastly, (but in my case most importantly) when sleeping, put your phone away. It could be in another room, or it could be a few meters away any place that is not within arm ' s reach.