7 Signs You’re Addicted To Your Cell Phone

Doug Brennan
PhoneSpector
Published in
3 min readFeb 5, 2021

There’s no doubt that cell phones have greatly benefited our society. However, with them, has come about the issue of cell phone addiction. According to BankMyCell, people spend 171 minutes on their phone each day and click, swipe, and tap it 2,617 times a day. And these are just the average statistics. Imagine the amount of time a smartphone addict spends on their device.

Not sure if you’re a phone addict? To see if you are, we’ve listed 7 signs you’re addicted to using your cell phone.

Signs You’re Definitely A Smartphone Addict

phone addiction

1. You Use Your Phone To “Phub” People

Phubbing is when you use your phone to purposely ignore someone. For example, if you’re at a party and you don’t want to listen to someone, you can use your phone to act like your doing something. It’s considered rude to phub someone that’s in your company.

2. You Have Your Phone In Hand At All Times

People who suffer from smartphone addiction have their phone in hand or within eyesight at all times. There’s never a moment when they don’t know where their phone is. And if they were to misplace their phone, the world would end.

3. You Check Your Notifications Every Minute

Do you check your phone every time you hear a notification sound? If you do, you’re definitely addicted to using your phone. YYou may feel as though every notification is important and must be checked then and there.

4. You’re Using Your Cell Phone During Work Hours

Usually, people know better than to use their personal cell phone during work hours. However, phone addicts do not. They’ll use their smartphone even when they are supposed to be working or even in a meeting! Using a cell phone while working is also known to decrease work productivity.

5. Your Phone Battery Doesn’t Last The Whole Day

If you have a phone addiction, you’re on your phone 24/7. With this, your phone battery will definitely not last the whole day. You may even be scrambling mid-morning looking for a phone charger.

6. You Check Your Phone In The Morning And At Night

Do you have the morning and night ritual of checking your phone? Well, this is a clear sign of smartphone addiction. Worrying every morning and night about the texts, notifications, and calls you received in unhealthy.

7. You Panic When You Leave Your Phone At Home

Ever leave your phone at home? How did you react? If you panicked like your world was about to end, then you’re a phone addict. Everyone forgets their phone panics somewhat, but if you overreact, you definitely are attached to your smartphone.

How Can You Deal With Your Phone Addiction?

Monitor Your Phone Use

To start, you need to know how much time you are spending on your phone and what you’re doing. The best way to figure this out is by using tracking software. You’ll be able to see all of your phone activities like texts, social media, app use, browsing history, and more.

Set Phone Use Limits For Yourself

To recover from your phone addiction, you must set limits for phone use. This includes when you can/cannot use your phone and how many hours a day you can spend on it. Setting these limits will help you learn that life doesn’t revolve around your phone.

Put Your Phone Away When You Don’t Need It

When you don’t need to use your phone, put it away. Common places you don’t need your cell phone in hand include at work, the dinner table, and on a date. If it seems like it’s not the right time to have your phone our, then it isn’t.

So, are you a cell phone addict? If you are, take the necessary steps mentioned above to help treat your phone addiction. Remember, life isn’t all about your cell phone. You need to try new experiences and spend time with those you love without your phone.

Originally Published On PhoneSpector On October 2, 2018.

--

--