nomofobia
Written by:
At present we are surrounded by technology, we use it all day through computers, tablets, social networks, mobile phones and television.
When we talk about nomophobia we refer to addiction to mobile. It is a problem that is increasing among the youngest in the family.
The term nomophobia could be defined as that irrational fear to leave home without the mobile phone. An investigation carried out in the United Kingdom in 2011 by the analysis group AppRiver showed that more than half of the sample suffered anxiety attacks when they lost their telephone or when they ran out of battery or coverage.
And what happens to children? Fortunately or unfortunately, the parents are models for their children and, therefore, some of the behaviors of the youngest are a reflection of the parents' behavior. Therefore, if there are parents who are hanging around the mobile phone all day, or hooked up to social networks, the children receive the input that this behavior is appropriate. It is possible, sooner or later, that the children end up adopting this same behavior.
Nowadays children are getting more precocious when they have their first telephone. Sometimes it's because of a simple whim or because it's the only one in the class that does not have one. In others it is due to a decision of the parents themselves to be able to locate their children more easily. Does a child have to have a cell phone? Many factors are involved in this decision. The best recommendation is the use of the mobile phone at specific times and in limited times. That is, put a schedule of use. In the same way, parents themselves must adopt the same behavior to set an example to their children about the proper use of new technologies.
What is clear is that the main problem is the limits they have when using them. If we let them have unlimited access it is more possible that a dependency can be generated. Therefore, the best option is to combine the moments that children spend in front of a screen whether on television, mobile, tablet or computer with didactic games and other types of activities that have nothing to do with technology .
This article is written by Dr. Sasot and the psychologist Carles Patris of the Center Psicopediàtric Guia
