Cell Phone Addictions Are As Real As Substance Addictions

According to a study done by Dr. James Roberts of Baylor University says that a cell phone addiction produces a similar response to a substance addiction. Cell phones can cause the brain to produce serotonin and dopamine (the feel good neurotransmitters in the brain) just like alcohol and tobacco. In today's world around 90% of college students own and use their cell phones. Some of these students are using them to text, call, and surf the web for up to 7 hours a day! On average a person sends around 109.5 text messages per day and receives around 130. So what's the problem? We live in a society where people love to communicate. The real problem is that people are doing it excessively. It is getting to a point where people are suffering from mental disorders when they don't have their cell phone on them. Most cell-phone addicts neglect important stuff like studying or eating while some experience physical symptoms like appetite loss or anxiety.  I get it, I really love to communicate with others as well, but I've noticed a decline in my ability to interact with people face to face since becoming a heavy cell phone user. Check out this video on NPR about cell phone addiction, it's a short three minute video with a powerful message.
 I Forgot My Cell Phone
Dr. Roberts closes the article blaming cell phones availability for the addiction. They are so easily accessible and provide a quick burst of dopamine this makes the body have a "feel good" sensation. This over time becomes a conditioned response and people are checking their cell phones even when they don't have a notification. How disastrous would it be if you lost your cell phone for a day?Maybe some of us should try going a day or two without cell phones to see how we react.
Cell phones are also an item of materialistic value that represent a social status to some. Everyone has an inner desire to fit in with society and that is why everyone is buying new phones. They're a hot item and just like people who have substance abuses they will pay enormous prices.  People buying phones so frequently is where my social action project comes into play. New phones require new parts that  have to be mined. It also increase the amount of e-waste in our society. If society could change it's views, that you don't NEED the newest cell-phone on the market to fit in, we could save lives and our Earth.


Hu, Elise. "Our Cultural Addiction To Phones, In One Disconcerting Video." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

"Baylor University || Media Communications || News." Baylor University Media Communications. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

"Mobile-phone Addiction in Teenagers May Cause Severe Psychological Disorders." Mobile-phone Addiction in Teenagers May Cause Severe Psychological Disorders. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.