Depression and mobile addiction, two problems that appear together
They have become almost an extension of many people's bodies. The smartphones They came to our lives as an instrument to solve problems such as distance or allow us to consult information in real time. But they have ended up causing excessive dependence on people who today would not know how to live without one of these devices.
The problem far from improving, has gone to more. More and more people have generated a dependence on mobile phones. A study of Complutense University of Madrid, UCM, warns that currently one in 20 Spaniards already has an addiction to smartphones. And what is worse, these problems tend to be related to other more serious disorders such as depression.
Excessive use
This study not only warns of the large number of people dependent on their smartphones, but the high group that uses more than the account dispositives. Almost 16% of Spaniards use their mobile phones more than necessary and have a high risk of becoming addicted to them in the future.
One of the problems that is causing this addiction to mobile phones is the alteration of people's daily lives. Having this dependency means not paying attention to others important issues in the life of individuals: work, studies, family relationships. Those responsible for this study even warn that the physical and emotional health of people is modified by this situation.
Relationship with depression
The authors of this research in which they were surveyed 1,126 individuals Between 16 and 65 years old from all over Spain, it also gave another important clue: people who get hooked to mobile phones have other problems that predispose them to this dependency. People who have difficulty restraining their impulses and who do not have self-control are more likely to be involved in these situations.
In addition, people with depression or other similar problems also have more ballots to be affected by the addiction to smartphones. The patients of these disorders tend to lock themselves in their worlds and the motives allow them to do so, which does nothing else to isolate themselves even more from what surrounds.
"Historically it has been observed that the psychological variables of anxiety and impulsivity precede or predict addictions with substances; that is, they are predisposing factors. This would imply that the problematic use of the mobile phone could be considered an addiction, "explains José de Sola, a researcher at the Department of Psychobiology at the UCM and one of the authors of the study.
In this situation it is better to take measures with which to prevent addiction to mobile phones. These are some attitudes with which to achieve it:
- The mobile off the table. At mealtime, all people in the house should leave their smartphones away from meals and concentrate on family relationships.
- The mobile does not go to the room. At bedtime it is best to leave your mobile in another area such as the living room to avoid surfing the internet or talking with other people in bed. If this terminal is used as an alarm clock, it is better to block the connection to the network of these devices just at the moment you go to the room.
- Set schedules. A very common tendency is to look at the notifications all the time, which changes the rhythms of life. It is best to finish what you are doing and leave a couple of minutes before reviewing the notifications, answer the important and return to chores.
- Other forms of leisure. Often the use of the smartphone is purely ludic and is used for games and other applications. If you are looking to enjoy these activities, it is always better to find a real alternative. It is ironic to play with an unknown person to the cards with the mobile phone and do not ask to do this activity to the rest of the family or friends.
- Attention to what is important. It is not uncommon to see people pay more attention to taking a picture of an event such as a trip or a concert than enjoying it. You have to know how to focus on enjoying this occasion, surely in this way you will remember it with more happiness than with many photos on your smartphone.
Damián Montero
