Author:
Dr. Edna M. Oyola Núñez
Ana G. Méndez Recinto Gurabo, Puerto Rico
emoyola@hotmail.com
Abstract
Mobile technology had an effect on the lives of all people during the 21st century. Excessive cellphone use could be considered a behavioral addiction. After the emergence of the concept of technological addiction, the term nomophobia is used to refer to cellphone dependence. Excessive cellphone use has also raised concerns about its possible physical implications. The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive and correlational study was to investigate the knowledge university students have about nomophobia and the physical, emotional and social effects it can cause. A questionnaire was administered to 100 participants using the Survey Monkey© platform. The results demonstrated that 68% of participants were unaware of the term nomophobia. However, the results reflected a significant correlation between what nomophobia is and the physical and psychosocial effects in the interviewees. Nomophobia, and the areas to which it relates, is a component that needs to be further evaluated.
Keywords: nomophobia, smartphone use, college students, technology