Do you get major anxiety when your smartphone battery runs out? Or find it impossible to get through the day if you accidentally leave it at home? You're not alone, as researchers believe 'no-mobile-phone phobia' or nomophobia is on the rise.
Now, they have even developed a new 20-question test designed to measure a person's anxiety over being separated from their phone.
Woman are 3.6 times more likely to experience nomophobia than men, but researchers do not yet understand why.
Symptoms include being unable to turn off your phone, obsessively checking your phone, constantly topping up the battery and taking your phone to the bathroom.
Previous studies have found 18 to 24-year-olds are worst affected - 77 per cent are unable to stay away from their phone for more than a few minutes.
US psychologists interviewed nine undergraduates identified as being reliant on their smartphones.
They interviewed them about how they felt when separated from their mobile, and identified four characteristics of smartphone separation anxiety.
They found people feel insecure when they can't text or call their friends and family and feel disconnected from their online identity.
They also feel inadequate when they can't access information, such as searching for answers to questions via Google.
People feel annoyed when they can't accomplish simple tasks like finding a restaurant or looking up directions.
They tested their questionnaire on 301 undergraduate students and found it produced valid and reliable scores, and so can be used to assess the severity of nomophobia.
However, the researchers said anxiety over smartphone-separation may not be a problem.
Caglar Yildirim, of Iowa State University, who carried out the research, told Today: 'This dependency and involvement is not something that should be condemned or banned.
'The problem arises when it starts interfering with one's mental health and psychological well-being.'
The news comes after a study conducted by Nokia found that some of us check our smartphones up to 150 times during a waking day of 16 hours.
A slew of studies has found an overuse of smartphones can damage health. Scientists warn regular use of electronic devices to placate children could interfere with development of empathy, social and problem solving skills.
And eye surgeons warn rates of short-sightedness have soared among young people have soared because of smartphones.
As the blue light emitted from smartphones disrupts the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, studies have shown sleeping in the same room as a charging phone can disrupt sleep.
It also affects the metabolism, and can lead to weight gain, the study found.
HOW BAD IS YOUR NOMOPHOBIA? TAKE THE TEST Experts have developed a new 20-question test designed to measure a person's anxiety over being separated from their phone..Write the numbers 1-20 down the side of a sheet of paper.
Answer each of the questions using a scale of one to seven (where one is strongly disagree and seven is strongly agree) and add up your score at the end.
The higher the number, the more severe your nomophobia is.
As benchmark, if you score...
20-60: You have mild nomophobia
60-100: You have moderate nomophobia
100+: You have severe nomphobia
THE QUESTIONS: 1. I would feel uncomfortable without constant access to information through my smartphone.
2. I would be annoyed if I could not look information up on my smartphone when I wanted to do so.
3. Being unable to get the news (e.g., happenings, weather, etc.) on my smartphone would make me nervous.
4. I would be annoyed if I could not use my smartphone and/or its capabilities when I wanted to do so.
5. Running out of battery in my smartphone would scare me.
6. If I were to run out of credits or hit my monthly data limit, I would panic.
7. If I did not have a data signal or could not connect to Wi-Fi, then I would constantly check to see if I had a signal or could find a Wi-Fi network.
8. If I could not use my smartphone, I would be afraid of getting stranded somewhere.
9. If I could not check my smartphone for a while, I would feel a desire to check it.
If I did not have my smartphone with me...10. I would feel anxious because I could not instantly communicate with my family and/or friends.
11. I would be worried because my family and/or friends could not reach me.
12. I would feel nervous because I would not be able to receive text messages and calls.
13. I would be anxious because I could not keep in touch with my family and/or friends.
14. I would be nervous because I could not know if someone had tried to get a hold of me.
15. I would feel anxious because my constant connection to my family and friends would be broken.
16. I would be nervous because I would be disconnected from my online identity.
17. I would be uncomfortable because I could not stay up-to-date with social media and online networks.
18. I would feel awkward because I could not check my notifications for updates from my connections and online networks.
19. I would feel anxious because I could not check my email messages.
20. I would feel weird because I would not know what to do. #Source: The Daily Mail
