Do age and educational stage influence no-mobile-phone phobia?

Abstract

Technological progress not only brings with it resources that improve and facilitate the day-to-day life of the people who make up society but also entails health risks, with the emergence of terms, such as nomophobia, which is considered an anxiety disorder produced by the fear that not having a mobile phone generates in a person. This research aims to identify the relationship and influence between levels of nomophobia and the age or educational stage of students. The research method is based on a correlational and predictive design of quantitative methodology. The instrument used is the NMP-Q questionnaire. The study population is students from different educational stages (obligatory secondary education, baccalaureate, vocational training and university). The results show that students over 12 years old present an average level of “nomophobia” (no-mobile-phone phobia), namely, not being able to communicate with the family where the highest levels are presented. We conclude that students over 12 years of age and of any educational stage present an average level of nomophobia, and it cannot be determined that either the educational stage or the age are determining factors in the presentation of this problem. This can occur at any age and at any level of the different educational stages, although there are risk indicators that we should bear in mind to avoid the appearance of nomophobia.