Like all addictions, smartphone addiction is a brain disease and almost every advance in brain research impinges directly or indirectly on the study of addictions. (Goldstein, 2001). 

Smartphone addiction symptoms and warning signs include:

• You get a feeling of anxiety when your smartphone isn't in reach or you don't have cell service.

• Your smartphone interferes with your daily activities, chores, and tasks.

• Your smartphone usage has ruined your vacation with family or spoiled social events with friends.

• You've experienced injuries or harmful health effects due to smartphone usage, such as neck pain or eye strain.

• You lose a sense of time due to smartphone distractions.

• You feel withdrawn from the physical world, distancing yourself from friends, family, and activities you used to enjoy.

• Smartphone usage has put an important relationship or your professional career in jeopardy.

• You've tried to limit your cell phone usage but haven't succeeded.

• You can't remember the last time you went poop without your smartphone with you.

Have you already tried to kick your smartphone addiction but for some reason just have not been able to do it? You want to stop being so completely dependent and tethered to the smartphone, but every time you try to quit you just fall right back into the same seemingly hopeless no escape patterns of "where's my phone?" lifestyle.

What are some of the effects of smartphone addiction?

When you’re glued to your phone, you miss out on quality time with friends or family and exciting experiences. There are other negative effects of excessive smartphone usage, including the following:

Mental health issues: Studies prove that excessive smartphone use can lead to anxiety and depression. Adolescents who were addicted to their smartphones were more likely to experience chronic stress and low emotional stability.

• Poor sleep: Scrolling on your smartphone right before bedtime may cause you to experience restless sleep. Researchers at Ohio State University studied college students who used their smartphones an average of 46.6 minutes per night and established the relationship between their smartphone usage and sleep quality. This usage caused insomnia and may have also contributed to fewer sleeping hours, the inability to fall asleep, and low-quality sleep.

• Increased risk of car accidents: Using a smartphone while driving is dangerous and causes you to take your eyes off the road. Smartphone users who are addicted to their devices are more likely to use them while driving, increasing their risk of being involved in a car accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2.9% of drivers use handheld devices while driving. In 2018, 400,000 people were injured in car accidents where distracted driving was to blame and 2,841 people were killed due to distracted driving car accidents.

• Poor school performance: If you’re trying to decide if your child is old enough for a smartphone, consider whether they can follow their school’s rules for smartphone usage. If your children use their smartphones in class, they’ll find it hard to focus on learning. This lack of engagement in class may lead to problems at school, including poor grades or disciplinary action. 

• Poor work performance: About 70% of employees in the U.S. keep their smartphone within eye contact while they’re at work. Being distracted by your smartphone at work may also lead to severe consequences, such as poor performance or even termination.

• Harmful health effects (including cancer) associated with the pulsed microwave radiation emitted from the smartphone and found to cause biological harm in laboratory studies.