Phone Dependence

We recently conducted a study of more than 100 people on “nomophobia,” the fear of being without a mobile phone, which showed without a doubt that it affects students across grades, genders and interests. Our data shows that nomophobia isn’t just another buzzword. Phone dependence is widespread and growing. It affects friendships, mental health, school performance and even everyday behaviors like how much caffeine we buy.

This year’s survey gathered responses from communities across the region and included high school students, middle schoolers and adults. The average nomophobia score was 78 and the average student score was 83, which suggests a meaningful level of fear tied to phone separation and highlights how deeply phones have become embedded in daily life. Phones are omnipresent stressors in our lives.