Abstract
The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is generating the emergence of new pathologies such as nomophobia. The aim of this research was to analyze the prevalence of nomophobia among young people, as well as to check whether the level of nomophobia is higher in males or females and in those students who claim to have less healthy nutrition due to the use of their mobile phones. The research method was based on a correlational and predictive design with a quantitative methodology. The measurement tool used is the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q). The participating sample was 1743 students between 12 and 20 years old from different educational stages of the Autonomous City of Ceuta (Spain). The results show that highest rates of nomophobia were found in relation to the inability to communicate and contact others immediately. About gender, women have higher rates of nomophobia than men. In relation to age, no significant differences were found; thus, the problem may affect all ages equally. Finally, students who think that their smartphone use is detrimental to their good nutrition show higher levels on the scale provided.
Highlights
Uncontrolled and irresponsible use of technology is increasingly common among the population [1,2] and, among young people [3,4,5]
The use of information and communication technologies is advancing incessantly in all corners of society, interfering almost totally in all the actions we develop, 24 h a day, generating new social routines, focused mainly in the social, personal, and labor fields [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. All this promotes benefits in our daily tasks, but it is beginning to generate new pathologies, among which are phobias and addictions. An example of this is the emergence of the concept of nomophobia, which refers to the anxiety caused in people by not being able to access the smartphone at a certain time [11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23]
The present research analyzed the effect nomophobia has according to the gender and age of the person, the level of nomophobia of the students, besides knowing how this pathology influences the diet of the students in the Autonomous City of Ceuta
Summary
Uncontrolled and irresponsible use of technology is increasingly common among the population [1,2] and, among young people [3,4,5]. The smartphone has become the preferred device for accessing the Internet and other communication services, social networks, and supermarkets, among others [6], due mainly to the many possibilities it offers [7,8] and its easy portability [9]. In this way, the smartphone becomes a “buddy” that accompanies us anywhere at any time [10]. Other researchers point out that a new phobia is currently developing caused by this, which manifests itself when people do not immediately have their smartphone or cannot make use of the different possibilities it offers [13,19]
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