iPhone Separation Anxiety: It’s a Thing

When people lose their phone that’s filled with personal information, contacts and pictures, they can feel stressed out by it. However, according to a University of Missouri study, they can also become stressed out by the fact their phone just simply isn’t with them.

University researchers found that taking participants’ iPhones away resulted in a measurable level of stress that caused them to perform badly on easy cognitive tasks.

University of Missouri School of Journalism doctoral candidate Russell Clayton hooked 40 iPhone users to a heart rate monitor and blood pressure monitor and gave them an easy-to-use word search puzzle.

Half of the participants were able to do the word search with their phones near them and then later carried out the task again. However, during the second time around, the team told participants their phones were interfering with the monitors and moved the iPhones to another location in the room. Although in the same room, they were out of reach. The other participants did the same thing only reversed.

While each person was busy doing the puzzle, researchers called their numbers. After the phones stopped ringing, the measurements showed each participant had higher anxiety levels while their phones were not with them. It caused their blood pressure and heart rate to rise, making them do worse on the game.

The study’s findings caused a new nomophobia level – a term that cropped up several years ago, which is the fear of not having your cell phone. While it’s understandable why some people feel nervous when their phone rings and they can’t answer it, their pulse rate shouldn’t start racing letting that phone call go to voicemail.

Clayton said the study’s findings suggest that separation from an iPhone can cause people to perform poorly on mental tasks. On top of that, the study proposes the phones have become an extension of users that when it’s not with them, they have a negative sense of self.

This research just adds to the cell phone side effects list which includes:

• Back pain
• Digital addiction
• Eye strain
• Sleep deprivation