Therapists who treat telephone addiction say the withdrawal symptoms that people suffer are similar to those experienced by drug addicts.
Lee Fernandes, 48, is an addiction specialist at UKAT, providing hospitalized patients rehabilitation treatment to people suffering from drug problems, alcoholism, and even “behavioral” addictions such as gambling, gaming and the internet. I'm doing it.
Fernandez says that phone, technology and social media addictions have risen significantly over the past five years. One of his recent clients spends 15-17 hours a day on YouTube.
And those who try to quit may suffer as severe withdrawal symptoms as those experienced by drug users trying to stop heroin, such as shaking, sweating, and insomnia.
Fernandez, who lives in London, said:
“The same thing happens with the addition of a phone. Someone might start having fun using social media. And it's a socially acceptable habit. So, what do your friends do using Instagram? It's plausible that you can check if it's or use LinkedIn.
“But all of a sudden you're the first thing in the morning and the last thing in the evening. Suddenly, what was meant to be a fast 10-minute look has turned into a few hours of scrolling.
“It starts to affect your life. You're late to booking because you lost the scroll – or you're not connected to your partner because someone isn't on their phone.
“It could be something people use to be self-friendly. Maybe whenever a person is sad, stressed or bored, they find themselves on their phones It must be.
“And then, before it suddenly becomes a real problem, it starts to take over little by little.
“One young guy I worked with was enjoying YouTube. But by the time he came to me, he was on it for 15-17 hours a day.”
Fernandez says people who are obsessed with their phones can experience withdrawal symptoms when they try to reduce their usage, just like drug addicts.
He said: “When parents take their phones, you see it with the child. They get irritated and angry, and their moods generally go low.
“But it can be even worse. My colleague was dealing with game addicts, so he came in to rehabilitate his inpatients.
“The effect was huge. He sweated, shaking, and couldn't sleep.
“These are the same symptoms as the heroine's withdrawal.”
According to Fernandez, people are drawn to their phones and social media, and the quick hit of dopamine – a mood-boosting hormone.
However, he warns that doing this will actually allow us to “burn” our brain reward centers, making it even more difficult to enjoy other activities.
He states:
“This may be something you're learning or doing an activity. A hobby that you enjoy.
“Even wandering around with friends requires thinking and conversation.
“But using a mobile phone produces instant dopamine without any challenges. It actually burns reward centers in the brain.
“It makes it more difficult to enjoy everyday things.
“I think about it a lot, people would read books and play newspapers.
“Now, almost everyone is making phone calls.
“It's good to get bored from time to time.”
For those who want to beat cell phone addiction, Fernandez says first they have to figure out what the “trigger” is.
He said: “When you are worried about your social situation, do you go to your phone?
“Do you use it when you feel sad or boring?
“We'll identify it and then try to find other behaviors that will replace it.
“Can I call a friend instead? Or go for a walk or watch a movie.
“For some people, it's going to cold turkey. Just remove the social media app from your phone.
“For others, it's about changing your habits. Don't go to your phone for the first or last hour of the day. And make sure you're taking dopamine from other sources. Please.
“People need to remember that social media is not real. That's how your life is.”
Fernandez says he doesn't necessarily insist on banning social media, but he urged parents to rethink how much their children can use it.
He states: “The technology and the internet of course stay here, and they are handy.
“But that is about managing it.
“I think it's a good idea to ban social media in Australia under 16 years of age. Let our young people develop their brains without technology.
“We want them to live outside their phones.
“I think we need to remember that for decades, smoking doesn't cause cancer.
“The people behind social media – they have products to sell, and they're going to market it in a positive way.
“So we have to make our own decisions about it.”
