Many teenagers and adults alike have become attached to their mobile devices over the past decade or so; however, recently there has been a stir in the psychology field which aims to make “Cell Phone Addiction Disorder” a real diagnosis. According to John M. Grohol, PSY. D., “While using such devices for everyday tasks, work, and socializing with friends and family is perfectly normal, not being able to put them down while engaged in a conversation with your significant other or a friend who’s sitting in front of you may denote an increasing problem.” This increasing problem as Grohol puts it, has become more and more prevalent in society as cell phone technology has grown leaps and bounds over the past several years.  Statistics even claim that more than 25 percent of American households have stopped using their land line telephone and just use cell phones instead.

In reading about the diagnosis, it becomes clear that many people don’t know where to draw the line between normal cell phone use and what is overuse. Some symptoms of this diagnosis may include running up a large monthly fee on your phone, reacting strongly to not having access to your phone or not being able to use it,  or suffering withdrawal when not able to use your phone. People who hear that cell phone addiction may become a real diagnosis may scoff, as it is a term that sounds somewhat absurd. There is no way that a device such as a cell phone can do so much harm, people may think. But, in fact, they may very well be incorrect. There are issues arising from cell phone addiction on multiple levels. On a social level, people are becoming more and more connected with their own devices, which, in turn, causes these individuals to lose their face-to-face connection that is so important in learning to adequately socialize. From a physical and mental health standpoint, there are, in fact, effects of cell phone addiction. Withdrawal symptoms include insomnia, an inability to sleep; anxiety; and depression. Doctors and specialists such as Michael Dow see these effects and claim that they are all things associated with substance abusers.

There are many psychologists and specialists who suggest tips for breaking free of this potentially detrimental addiction. Some of these tips include limiting your access to your cell phone, avoiding random checks to see if you have received new messages, and stopping your dependence on mobile technology. In doing these things, a cell phone addict would be able to cease her habits of addiction and ultimately help herself to overcome it.

To counter this argument, however, it is important to note that addiction can occur with anything. Each individual is different and can become addicted to various things. Addiction, although the cellular use has sky-rocketed, does not necessarily mean that just because a person is overly- attached to her phone that she is an addict. Some psychologists compare it to alcoholism; lots of adults do drink but just because they drink, it doesn’t mean that they are alcoholics. By the same comparison, there is a limit when it becomes too extreme.  It’s just important to remember, that while staring at the hundreds of pixels on your cell phone screen that spell out the words of a text message, there is a world outside you that each individual should be a part of, and that face-to-face interaction is always a necessity to maintain.