I’m sure you can all relate to that heart-stopping moment as you rifle through your bag or pocket and are met with the unwelcome greeting of no phone. Only after recruiting half of your house to help you search, and emptying the entire contents of your bag, can you breathe a huge sigh of relief as you clutch your beloved mobile -reunited at last (even if you didn’t actually have any texts or calls). Or there’s that frustrating moment as your signal slowly fades from five bars to zero – no amount of randomly thrusting your phone to the sky can save it, and you need to find out where you are pre-drinking tonight.
Welcome to the world more scientifically known as ‘nomophobia’ – that’s the fear of being without your mobile phone and 53% of British phone users suffer from it. Do you too have the inability to never turn your phone off, obsessively checking the screen and constantly topping up your battery life… just in case? Then you may well be in the majority of the population who just find it too unbearable to even go to the toilet without being accompanied by your trusty mobile device.
Whilst it is sad, who can blame us really? Phones are like an extra body part we have acquired, one that can video call your best friend, whilst ordering a Christmas present for your boyfriend and planning your entire week’s calendar with a mere touch of a few buttons. It sleeps beside us as we recharge our own batteries, joins us on dinner dates and keeps us connected as it receives the juiciest gossip before we even do! Let’s not forgot that fundamental alarm clock they offer either – a godsend for waking us up in time for nine o’clock seminars, even if your ringtone makes you want to scream blue murder. As for lectures, a cunning game of Temple Run to stop you from drifting off, or a quick check on Facebook to laugh at last night’s drunken photos makes everything that little bit more bearable. Not only can we contact to whoever we need whenever we need them, but mobiles act as our own personal photo albums – capturing photos and videos, mainly to embarrass your friends at a later date and to laugh at in years to come.
Whilst we now depend on our phones like we would an extra limb, it may be wise to take some extra precautions before you have one of those nights out where you unintentionally lose it and find yourself in a pool of tears the following morning. Ensure photos and music are backed up on your laptop and leave your phone zipped up in your bag or trouser pocket unless it’s entirely necessary to remove it. After all, waking up without your treasured mobile is like forgetting to get dressed before you leave the house: either way you feel naked!
