To be addicted as I will define here will be that the action is a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity. Cell phone addiction as we see now is happening everywhere. Everyone is using the cell phone as their means of connecting to the world, to play games, to watch videos, to listen to music and even for some, to use as an alarm clock!

And there are common forms of dependencies to human as we know of (as of other addictions):
1) Physical dependency
2) Psychological dependency

Causes includes
1) Genetics
2) Biological/Pharmacological
3) Social factors

Yet in the case of cell phone addictions, hard facts are recognized as such:

Symptoms are:
1) People feel uncomfortable without their cellphones
2) Cellphones are very important to them (to the point of a need)
3) Need to talk insatiably
4) Cellphone bills stresses them up
5)Start having problems at school and work due to constant usage
6)Interpersonal problems (becomes rowdy and isolated)
7) High levels of insecurity
8) Endangers health (long periods of exposure to harmful electromagnetic waves and when driving)

Worst situations:
1) Hallucinations (phantom ringing of the phone, when it is actually not)
2) Extreme anxiety if the phone is taken from them or when there are no coverage in the area

The harms brought about may be:
1) Young addicts spend so much time that they fail at school and drop out.
2) Turning to crime to pay bills (that run up to thousands)
3) Mental breakdown
4) Death

As commented on SMH.com.au.
"Psychiatrists say mobile phone addiction is an obsessive-compulsive disorder which looks set to become one of the biggest non-drug addictions in the 21st century."

Cell phone addictions will only worsen and become more widespread as people gain in affluence and are able to purchase more cell phones. We should learn to control our usage and not be controlled by the gadget itself, only then will we improve and gain from acquiring such equipments to improve our lives. Cell phone addictions can be countered.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A ddiction
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0 ,2933,204046,00.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles /2003/12/10/1070732250532.html ?from=storyrhs

Learn more about this author, Tommy Koh.
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