Addiction to Smart Phones

.. the iPhone has defined a new kind of communication form … and some of interesting sociology … in the news this week is “nomophobia”, the fear of being away from your smart phone. People in the 18 to 24 year range seem most dependent on mobile technology with over 75% expressing discomfort with being away from their phones for more than a few minutes. The 25 to 34 year old group was only a bit behind with 68 percent. “Nomophobic people have a fear of losing connection with the outside world,” according to psychologist Elizabeth Waterman, who has started to address nomophobia in group therapy sessions at the Morningside Recovery Center in California. We discuss different aspects of the issue and how it relates to other addictions.

Addicted to gizmos

As the pre-orders for the new iPhone 4 overwhelm AT&T computers and generate the latest buzz for Apple, we take a look at our modern fascination — or is it our newest addiction — with the myriad hi-tech gizmos that surround us. Dr Inaba looks at the comparison.