There are some strange but very real fears out there including that of, ailurophobia the fear of cats (blasphemy!) and anthrophobia (fear of flowers), but there’s also a term for those who are afraid of being digitally disconnected.
It’s called nomophobia, and is short for no-mobile-phone phobia. Sure, you might not be as extreme as getting sweaty palms or shaky hands, but the uneasiness and anxiety that comes from going phone-free is more common than you might think.
Whether the battery has died or you’ve left it at home, this can be enough to turn some into a complete frenzy. This phobia is so common in fact, that ISU researchers have developed a questionnaire that can help determine whether you’re suffering from this phobia or not.
The study was published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior and included the questionnaire below. Participants of the study were asked to answer each of the following statements on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) and then the scores were added up. Higher scores were associated to greater nomophobia severity.
So go on, take it for yourself and see.
Nomophobia Questionnaire
1. I would feel uncomfortable without constant access to information through my smartphone.
2. I would be annoyed if I could not look information up on my smartphone when I wanted to do so.
3. Being unable to get the news (e.g., happenings, weather, etc.) on my smartphone would make me nervous.
4. I would be annoyed if I could not use my smartphone and/or its capabilities when I wanted to do so.
5. Running out of battery in my smartphone would scare me.
6. If I were to run out of credits or hit my monthly data limit, I would panic.
7. If I did not have a data signal or could not connect to Wi-Fi, then I would constantly check to see if I had a signal or could find a Wi-Fi network.
8. If I could not use my smartphone, I would be afraid of getting stranded somewhere.
9. If I could not check my smartphone for a while, I would feel a desire to check it.
If I did not have my smartphone with me:
1. I would feel anxious because I could not instantly communicate with my family and/or friends.
2. I would be worried because my family and/or friends could not reach me.
3. I would feel nervous because I would not be able to receive text messages and calls.
4. I would be anxious because I could not keep in touch with my family and/or friends.
5. I would be nervous because I could not know if someone had tried to get a hold of me.
6. I would feel anxious because my constant connection to my family and friends would be broken.
7. I would be nervous because I would be disconnected from my online identity.
8. I would be uncomfortable because I could not stay up-to-date with social media and online networks.
9. I would feel awkward because I could not check my notifications for updates from my connections and online networks.
10. I would feel anxious because I could not check my email messages.
11. I would feel weird because I would not know what to do.
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