Fear of being without a phone on the rise in the UK

 

Are you nomophobic?

Say farewell to Freddy Krueger, and show Jason Voorhees the door, because the source of true terror has been revealed at last. According to a new survey, two -thirds of UK citizens live in fear... of losing their mobile phone.

The study, which was commissioned by mobile security company SecurEnvoy, polled 1,000 working Britons about their relationship with their mobile and found that 66% of us suffer from nomophobia - the fear of being without a phone.

According to the results, women are the more nomophobic gender. More than two-thirds of women (71%) were concerned about losing their mobile, compared to 61% of men. However, 47% of men own two or more phones, compared to just 36% of women. Maybe that’s why fewer men are concerned about losing a phone - they have a spare.

The study also looked at how different age ranges feel about their handsets. The youngest age group interviewed - 18-24-years-olds - proved to be most nomophobic, with 77% concerned about going without a mobile. Next was the 25–34-year-olds (68%), followed by the over-55s.

Another finding was that many of us are rather secretive when it comes to the content on our handsets. When asked, 49% of survey respondents said that they would be upset if a partner read text messages and emails on their phone. Approximately half (51%) said they secured their phones, but 49% leave them unprotected.

It’s worth pointing out that, snarky introductions aside, nomophobia refers to a state of heightened anxiety as opposed to a “proper” phobia. Even so, the fact that people can get markedly unnerved by the prospect of being sans phone does highlight just how central mobiles have become to day to day life.

Andy Kemshall, co-founder of SecurEnvoy said: “The first study into nomophobia, conducted four years ago, revealed that 53% of people suffered from the condition and our study reveals this has now risen to 66% in the UK and shows no sign of abating.”

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