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The Dangers and Impacts of Nomophobia on Child’s Health

Children are addicted to mobile phones and the dangers of Nomophobia

Parents today often use mobile phones to pacify their children when they are fussy or crying. By simply handing a mobile phone to their child, the child becomes obedient, even if they were not behaving that way before. This shows how mobile phones can change children’s behavior in an instant. While this may have short-term benefits, it inevitably leads to cell phone addiction when parents rely on mobile phones to solve problems. As a result, children can become addicted to mobile phones from a young age, which directly affects their mental health. One of the first signs of cell phone addiction that parents often notice is irritability and anger. We will discuss the root cause of this issue, whether it is a disease or not, and what causes it.

Nomophobia is the manifestation of fear or anxiety caused by the absence of a mobile phone. Medically, it is not considered a disease, but rather a syndrome. This term is used to represent the changing behavior of people or society as a result of the adoption of new technology. “Nomo” is used to refer to mobile phones or other new technology, and “phobia” is used to indicate excessive worry or anxiety.

The reason for this is that mobile phones are highly portable, making it easy for people to carry them with them almost everywhere they go. Additionally, many people only have one mobile phone, which they rely on heavily. As a result, people tend to attach great importance to their mobile phones.

What are the symptoms of Nomophobia?

When parents often use mobile phones to solve problems with their children, of course, there is a long procession of problems that follow. If left for a long time, it will be difficult to fix. You may need to see a child psychiatrist to treat the symptoms. The symptoms that indicate that they are in the Nomophobia group are:

  • Crying or throwing tantrums – Children who are addicted to mobile phones may cry and signal their desire to play with their phones. When parents give in and hand them the phone, the child stops crying immediately. While it is easy to predict this behavior, using a mobile phone to solve the problem is only a short-term solution. In the long term, it can have negative effects on the child’s overall development.
  • Children may become jittery – If they are not able to hold or use their phone. Even when not in use, mobile phone addicts tend to keep their phones close by. To ensure that children grow up with quality, parents should take action promptly to address this issue.
  • Addicted to games or cartoons – Children with cell phone addiction often spend excessive amounts of time watching cartoons or playing games, sometimes not realizing how much time has passed. This is not a good thing as it can lead to a lack of brain development, as well as negatively impact eyesight and other aspects of their physical health.

The side effects of excessive mobile use

  • The eyesight of children can be severely affected by staring at mobile phone screens, where the blue light emitted from the screen is harmful to the eyes.
  • Prolonged use of mobile phones can cause muscle strain in the neck, shoulders, and back due to maintaining a contracted or improper posture for extended periods. This can lead to fatigue and, if left untreated, may even result in a risk of nerve compression.
  • Prolonged use of mobile phones can lead to obesity, caused by a lack of physical movement. When the body stays in the same position for extended periods, the energy consumed in the form of food is not expended, leading to storage and accumulation, resulting in obesity.

How to treat and prevent symptoms of Nomophobia?

For Nomophobia treatment, there can be physical symptoms that parents should be aware of and work to address. For families who have not yet been affected, preventing cell phone addiction should be a priority. In cases where symptoms are severe, seeking treatment from a pediatric psychiatrist may be necessary. For those with less severe symptoms, reducing the amount of time for people addicted to phones can help alleviate the dependence on always having the phone on hand.

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