Study: Cellphone addiction related to compulsive buying and credit card misuse

Time for an intervention? According to a new study conducted by Baylor University and published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, cellphone and text messaging addictions are based on the same consumption pathologies like compulsive buying and credit card misuse. Part of a pattern of conspicuous consumption, cellphone addiction relates back to materialism and impulsiveness.  The study's co-author, James Roberts, Ph.D, pointed out that young adults send an average of 3200 texts a month. That breaks down into an average of 109.5 texts sent daily, and 113 received. He adds that such cellphone owners check their phone 60 times per day. Instead of writing it off as a "passing fad," Roberts says that  "an emerging body of literature has given increasing credence to cell phone addiction and similar behavioral addictions."

According to Dr. Roberts (Beatle fans, take note), 90% of college students own a cellphone (67% of those 18-24 own a smartphone) and the ever increasing functionality of them leads to their over use. The author of the study goes on to say that a majority of young people claim that losing their cellphone would be adisaster to their social life. 60% of the 191 college undergraduates (all business students) surveyed for the paper, felt that they were addicted to their cellphone.

How do you feel when you are without your handset because it is broken or because you just plain forgot to take it with you? Is there an empty hollow feeling inside? Do you get withdrawal-like symptoms that continue until you have your phone back in your hand? It all relates to dopamine and serotonin levels that rise when we get pleasure from our phone. That leads to the desire to use the device again and again.

The way we see it, if you're not ignoring others to check Instagram, or driving while texting, or replacing human connection with a silicon one, there is nothing wrong with having your cellphone by your side at all times. And there is one addiction we would never want to see you end. That is the one that keeps you coming back to PhoneArena.

source: JournalofBehavioralAddictions, BaylorUniversity via Textually.org