Cell Phone Addiction: A Review of the Available Data

Abstract: The use of cell phones is nowadays a necessity for many individuals, and this technology has a privileged position not only in the communication field, but, due to various applications, in the economic, educational and cultural life. However, addiction as a “dark side” of this technology use has been described, and multiple psychological scales for the determination of this addiction’s severity have been created. Smartphone addiction is not specific to a certain cultural, social, economic or educational background. Risk factors for smart phones addiction development have been detected in epidemiological trials: female gender, high anxiety level, insomnia, Internet use, alcohol use, low self-esteem, low self-control, and sensation-seeking. Depression has been associated with both high risk for developing cell phone addiction, and with protective value for this pathology. Applications for monitorisation of the smartphone use have been created, in order to help a clinician to verify the status of the addiction. No clinical trials focused on specific treatment approaches has been yet initiated. Due to the increasing rate of cell phones use, and to the wide range of population possible affected by excessive use of the cell phones- from children to elderly individuals, more research is needed for delineating harm-reduction approach (to decrease the use, or to make the behaviour controllable) and therapy (in more severe cases).