Addiction
Mental health and addiction go hand in hand, and the simple fact is, many people are addicted to their cell phones. People with an addiction often compulsively engage in harmful behaviours regardless of the consequences. See above for cell phone related mental health consequences. Being anxious when your phone isn’t on you, or feeling the need to look at it every few minutes are both key signs of an addiction. On average, a person checks their phone once every 12 minutes, with many people struggling to make it past ten and with that addiction comes all the negative side effects already mentioned- loneliness, depression, anxiety, reduced attention span, diminished ability to concentrate, disrupted sleep patterns, and ultimately more stress out of life.
So, cell phones provide a huge boon to our society, with all the information we could ever need literally at our fingertips. But when we begin to spend more time on the phone than with real people, problems begin to manifest. If you think you may be addicted to your phone, or feel like it’s affecting your mental health to a point that is unsafe, try to limit yourself to how much time you spend on it. If you simply don’t have the willpower to do that, seek professional help. Settling arguments with friends and looking at pictures of cats are great, but not at the expense of your mental health!
