The consequences of the digital age. The possibilities of being permanently connected are creating new health problems under technological influence. 5% of the Spanish population is already addicted to mobile phones and more than 15% are at risk of being , according to a study carried out by the Complutense University of Madrid, the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, the Instituto de Biomedical Research of Malaga (Spain) and the San Ignacio de Loyola University (Peru).
We use the mobile more and more; in fact, when we accidentally leave it forgotten at home or at the office, we do not hesitate to feel some anxiety and do everything possible to retrieve it as soon as possible to continue using it. So much so, that 15.4% of the population maintains this growing and worrying use of the smartphone and 5.1% can already be considered addicted.
When does this use become problematic?
When it interferes in our work, daily or family activities or even harms the physical and mental health of the person (we feel anguish and difficulty resisting the urge to consult our mobile phone at all times), we are at serious risk of becoming addicted to mobile phones.
“Historically it has been observed that the psychological variables of anxiety and impulsivity precede or are predictors of 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 ”, clarifies José de Sola, co-author of the work.
The research examined 1,126 questionnaires conducted between January and December 2014 to participants from all over Spain between the ages of 16 and 65. The objective was to cross the factors of anxiety, depression, impulsivity and alcohol consumption with problematic mobile use.
The results, using statistical measurement tools such as the problematic mobile phone use scales (MPPUS), anxiety states (STAI), impulsive behavior (UPPS-P), Beck’s depression inventory or the AUDIT questionnaire from alcohol consumption, revealed that anxiety, impulsivity and alcohol consumption could be predictors of this addiction (not depression or illegal drugs).
Does it affect only the youngest?
The study shows that the most affected are the youngest , from the age of 16, but it also harms adult populations up to 45 years of age.
The study has been published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.
