Smartphones: Source of Your Stress (Part II)

Have you been quite frazzled about knowing that your phone could be the source of all your stress? You might not notice them right off the bat but once these simple things have accumulated, you’re going to need all your might just to squeeze out that stress through your stress ball. Well, if the previous examples on the part one of this article haven’t sufficed to say that these nifty phones can be the source of all your exhaustion, then here are other situations that could wrap them all at once.

#1: That feeling when you are talking to someone, and he or she is also tapping his or her phone at the same time

Talking to your friend and tapping on your phone simultaneously? Come on, give me a break. Spending time with your dear ones is your only quality time, why would you even divide it? Although I, myself, am guilty of doing this at times, I try to control myself. I let the person in front of me finish talking first, and I’ll interact as much as I can. Then after that, I’ll excuse myself to check my phone. It’s not that hard, is it? But if you try to be like jack-of-all-trades, talking, eating, and tapping on your smartphone all at once, then this is really something unfavorable. I remember one time, I was talking to a friend when I found out she has her mobile earphones plugged in. Truth be told, I was a bit bummed out. You don’t want to feel that stress, do you?

#2: That feeling when you are away from your phone

When you are in a place where phones are restricted, do you feel a bit antsy? The “No Phones Allowed” sign just makes your eyes twitch all the time, doesn’t it? For all you know, that is completely normal—completely normal for people who are addicted to their beloved, nifty smartphones. What about when you hear a speaker saying “Please turn off your cell phones, because the show is about to start.” All nails on the board! Turning your phone off was proven to induce physical and mental withdrawal symptoms according to a study. Thankfully, there is an option for you to just put your phones to silent mode. Or better yet, find a coping mechanism so as to combat the feeling of being anxious. Take a walk for awhile or take a deep breath.

#3: That feeling when you have divided attention in school

How much notes have you taken down than text you sent to your *insert whatever your relation to this person is here*? Well, I know someone who was on his first year in college. Taking up what course? Engineering—the course that will make you MA(TH)D! And so, he got a girlfriend. That’s fine. But I see him literally texting every single day. I know engineering’s math isn’t that easy but he should’ve focused studying than going out with his girl… and yeah, texting—I partially blame. Why wouldn’t I? It has been his constant distraction. Nonetheless, I believe he’ll be able to pull it off once more.

Smartphones can be really alluring; it can also be really distracting. But if you know how to use it right, if you just know how to not abuse it, then perhaps you won’t be stressed this mu—bam!

Mobile Phone Addiction Has Gone Widespread

Over the years, mobile phones have become necessities—something that is vital for our daily living. But if you take a look back in the past decade or two, people manage their lives without the use of any handheld electronic device. But today, they have taken over humanity, hence, the birth of nomophobia (no mobile phone phobia). We seemingly can’t live without them anymore.

Yes, we have seen them walking amongst us—the people who make their mobile phones the center of their lives. They keep on tapping and tapping as they walk down the streets, only to break their solid gaze from their phones the moment they bump into another person or whenever they hear the screeching of tires brought about by cars trying to avoid them. And this habit is already turning out to be annoying.

According to Dr. Simon Hampton, psychology lecturer at the University of East Anglia, “People’s inability to leave their phones alone is the newest addition to common ‘displacement’ behaviors such as smoking, doodling, fiddling with objects, and picking at food.” Instead of doing something else, we’re forced to turn to our mobile phones for reassuring comfort.

To make things worse, more and more of the handsets that are being used by people are becoming smarter. Smartphones are devices that can perform almost any task, and this vast functionality has even doubled the incidence of nomophobia. With that single device, a person can communicate, connect to the web, play music with his mobile earphones, entertain himself with games, connect via social media, manage his finances, do business, and a whole lot more. With all these, there appears to be no reason to disconnect from that all-around contraption.

Concerns have been raised about this ongoing issue. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration puts the blame to mindless smartphone usage for an 8% rise in the number of American pedestrians killed in road accidents between 2009 and 2011. Furthermore, psychologists believe that the effect of dependence to technology, particularly with handheld devices, to young people is already disturbing. It turns out to inhibit their communication skills. And if those aren’t enough, the impact of this engrossment to nonstop smartphone usage to etiquette has gone to greater heights. It is now common to see people fiddling with their phones while in the company of their friends.

This new-found habit shows to be so beneficial to online businesses. “This mildly compulsive behavior might be exploited to encourage purchasing, particularly as digital increasing blurs the lines between shopping and entertainment,” Hampton said. As we see it, we’re led into the clutches of those sharks who feast on what turns out be our waterloo—mindless spending. But this shouldn’t be the case; we must pull ourselves together and take control over our “conscious” decisions.

As for my final words: indubitably, technology greatly helps us in one way or another, but we must not forget never to miss out on what’s really important—our life.