Phone Addiction and Mental Health
By Jessica Chang, MHC-LP
Google trends have shown increases in searches for “phone addiction” and “social media addiction” since 2004 (AddictionCenter). This global and societal issue has been seriously exacerbated and continuously enmeshed with mental health issues by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, as options to connect with others became predominantly virtual and people were forced into and now out of isolation. Colloquially termed “nomophobia” (the fear of being without mobile device), teens are particularly more susceptible to the algorithm traps set by tech companies as their brains are not yet fully developed. Although there are no specific metrics to diagnose phone addiction, it is recognized as a very real issue with very real mental health consequences.
What contributes to phone addiction?
Brain chemicals
Dopamine is the brain’s major reward and pleasure neurotransmitter. It is a common misconception that dopamine makes you happy - rather, the hormone actually reinforces behaviors that make you happy. GABA is also a neurotransmitter that strongly interacts with dopamine and influences dopamine activity in the brain. Main functions of these interacting neurotransmitters include reward system and cognitive flexibility, like task-switching performance. Smartphones and apps are designed to be addictive in a way that alters reward circuits in the brain chemically. After the rush of feel-good hormones, a dip occurs which worsens with addiction and continued binging. Chronic phone overuse can have lasting impacts on the brain’s chemical balance and reward circuits.
Lack of boundaries
Struggling to identify and uphold one’s boundaries can make it easier to become addicted to one’s phone. Others may begin to expect a constant online presence, whether with work, friends, family, or one’s own expectations of themself. One may feel a professional, social, or justice obligation to be responsive and constantly accessible or informed and aware of upcoming events or recent happenings. It may feel particularly urgent at this time to consume and share media in a way that aligns with one’s values. However, lack of boundaries can lead to a detrimental relationship with one’s phone and mental health.
Impulse-control problems
The ease and instant gratification of smartphone usage can exacerbate impulse-control problems such as virtual relationships, compulsive web surfing, cybersex addiction, and online compulsions (i.e., gaming, gambling, stock trading, online shopping, bidding on auction sites, etc.). This unlimited access can provide an outlet or escape from certain real life difficulties while creating a different set of difficult-to-escape real life issues. For example, online friendships can provide a bubble for relationships where conflict and messy demands of real-world relationships do not need to exist. Although this may relieve people of social anxieties and awkwardness, it may also increase real-life intimacy issues and prevent people from learning how to navigate various social interactions. Online compulsions may also contribute to various life stressors like relationship stress, financial stress, and job-related problems which may feed into the cycle of smartphone addiction and feeling the need to escape reality.
Mental health impacts and interactions
Anxiety, depression, emotional stability, and stress
Low emotional stability, chronic stress, anxiety, and depression have all been positively associated with phone usage. One may lose track of time and neglect other activities or people in favor of phone usage, creating difficult and stressful situations in various aspects of life (e.g., school, work, interpersonal relationships, etc.) to consistently navigate and repair. Additionally, phone addiction typically comes with withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety and irritability as well as physical symptoms like sweating, shaking, and heart palpitations. It is important to recognize the bidirectional impacts of phone usage and mental health issues, creating a cycle of phone addiction and mental health struggles.
Relationship issues and loneliness
Phone addiction often contributes to isolation from social interactions in the form of less real-world interactions with friends, family, and peers, as well as less meaningful relationships and healthy connections and conversations. One may lose relationships as their time and attention is consumed via phone usage. It is stressful to feel the need to maintain constant online presence and availability as well as in-person relationships, and it may feel easier to let go of the latter - further exacerbating mental health struggles. Feelings of isolation, loneliness, depression, and anxiety are all highly interrelated and have been associated with increased risk of suicide and suicide rates among teenagers.
Low self-esteem
Phone addiction can severely impact one’s sense of self-esteem through relationship issues and comparison on social media. Distortion of reality and unrealistic standards from comparisons to what is portrayed via social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, worthlessness, stress, anxiety, and depression. Constant phone usage can also lead to negative thinking, loneliness, frustration, irritability, and fatigue.
Poor sleep
It is now more commonly known that the light emitted by a cell phone screen can interfere with natural melatonin production, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle. This can negatively affect sleep quality, ability to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night, and feelings of daytime fatigue. Sleep is an essential part of one’s mental health and wellbeing.
Creativity blocks
Smartphones and a constant online presence interrupts humans’ ability to daydream and think independently. It blocks concentration and prevents people from reaching their flow state. Relevant to low self-esteem that often accompanies comparison, creatives may suffer from the constant influx of content which may feel suffocating towards one’s own ideas and perceived abilities. Time spent on one’s phone may contradict with one’s creative pursuits as well as the physical time and space often required to create in a meaningful and fulfilling way.
Warning sign examples of phone addiction
Isolation from family and friends
Concealing your smartphone use
Trouble completing tasks at work or home due to phone usage
Feeling of dread, anxiety, or panic if you leave your smartphone at home
Phantom vibrations (i.e. thinking you receive a phone notification but there are no new messages or updates upon checking)
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms (e.g., irritability, sweating, shaking, heart palpitations) when you try to cut back on smartphone use
Tips to changing your smartphone habits - whether “nomophobia” applies to you or if you are wanting to readjust your relationship with your smartphone, here are some ways to start making changes:
Be intentional and set your own boundaries - understand your smartphone usage and habits. Be thoughtful about when urges to use your phone occur, how you feel before reaching for your phone, and what you could be doing away from your phone. Be honest with what feels like necessary phone usage and what you could cut out. As a reminder, it does not help anyone if you cannot continue to show up in a meaningful way.
Learn to tolerate being bored and with your thoughts - it is okay to be bored at times. Sometimes the stimulus-free, slow passage of time can be essential in having necessary thoughts and thought processes and allowing your brain to form connections. Use the time to grow curiosity and introspection. Rediscover yourself. Build your coping skills and relaxation techniques.
Create distance between yourself and your phone/apps - turn off notifications when you can. Leave your phone in another room. Delete social media off your phone or take a “social media break”. You can still access it on other devices, but not having the app on your phone makes it less handy and adds an extra step to the process.
Seek support offline - strengthen your support network. Find people with similar interests and rediscover real-life interactions and connections. Meet with a mental health therapist in-person if possible, and have discussions on the real-life impacts of feeling out of control when it comes to phone usage. You are not alone!
Sources
Gomez, S. (2024). Phone Addiction: Warning Signs and Treatment. AddictionCenter.
Robinson, L., Smith, M., and Segal, J. (2024). What is smartphone addiction? HelpGuide.org.
Shoukat S. (2019). Cell phone addiction and psychological and physiological health in adolescents. EXCLI journal, 18, 47–50.
Therapy Brands. (2023). How Do Smartphones Affect Mental Health?