Healthcare

Smartphones have become an essential part of everyday life. The anxiety or discomfort experienced when people are unable to use their mobile phones or when their phones are not within reach is known as nomophobia in psychology. A joint longitudinal study involving Lingnan University found that participants with higher scores on the Nomophobia Questionnaire were more likely to spend longer and more frequent periods on social media when experiencing negative emotions and when less rushed, and findings suggest that increased smartphone use may be associated with the way individuals regulate negative emotions as a "temporarily escape". In fact, interventions addressing smartphone addiction should not focus solely on limiting screen time, but also help people exhibiting smartphone dependence to develop effective coping skills.