A Modern Phobia: Prevalence of Nomophobia among College Students

Mobile technology is an integrated part of today’s lifestyle. Despite providing several advantages, mobile phones may have a negative impact on our lives causing addiction, discomfort, anxiety or dependence. Considered a modern phobia, nomophobia is a term that describes the irrational fear or anxiety of being unable to access a mobile phone or being beyond mobile phone contact. This anxiety adversely affects individual’s concentration on daily tasks. Briefly defined as being destitute of mobile access, the prevalence of nomophobia increases in parallel with the widespread use of smartphones due to their extensive features and capacity. Nomophobia behaviours may change our daily habits, and particularly students experiencing nomophobia may suffer from negativities in their academic achievement. This study aims at investigating the prevalence of nomophobia among 433 Turkish college students enrolled in a state university in the 2014-2015 academic year. Employing a survey method, data collected in the study were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Findings indicate that nomophobia levels of the college students are above moderate level, based on average score. There is no significant difference as of gender, grade, duration of mobile phone and smartphone usage.