I check the phone regularly even if it does not sound. The mobile is always within reach even at night. If I leave the phone at home, I'll go back for it without delay. If I'm in an area without coverage, I get nervous. If all these phrases fit you, you may wonder why it happens to you. Why do we feel slaves of the mobile?

Currently 60% of smartphone users experience nomophobia, that is, experiencing a feeling of anxiety when we see that we have run out of battery and are out of the house or that we have forgotten the phone at home or any of the previous statements. Where does this huge attachment for a device come from?

The answer could come from the way we get attached to people in our childhood. The attachment to our parents or the people who care for us has a clear function of adaptive survival. However, this behavior can also be triggered in adulthood, as human beings do better in situations where others give us a feeling of closeness and security. In addition, when we do not have those people available, we start looking for substitutes, such as pets, toys or other types of items.

Nowadays, most people own or use a mobile phone, and therefore it is understandable under these premises that, in the absence of real people with whom to develop attachment, the telephone acts as a substitute.

In what way do we become slaves of the mobile?
Apart from the fact that almost everyone uses a mobile phone there are two reasons why we can become slaves to these devices. First, mobile phones allow contact with others through social media and text messages. Consequently, they have the function of facilitating relationships, that is, a channel with which to contact either friends or relatives.

Secondly, mobiles store photos, videos, pages and other personal information that can be customized to meet our preferences, such as the ringtone or image on the lock screen. All this increases its value as an object of attachment.

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