Recently released Monash University research found 99.2 per cent of Australians have some level of anxiety towards being without their devices, and the inability to switch off could be endangering people's health.
Researchers from the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) found for 13.2 per cent of the population, the fear of being away from phones was so severe researchers have labelled it ‘nomophobia'.
Nomophobia is characterised by a psychological dependence to phones - intense enough it could endanger users.
Lead researcher Fareed Kaviani said phones had become an entangled and crucial part of our world, however it was important they were used with caution.
“We have habitualised the device into our lives,” he said.
“The fear of being without one’s mobile phone may be a rational response when we have come to rely on them for staying in contact . . . using the digital wallet, scanning QR codes . . . or to read shopping lists and access information.”
But when the rational response develops into something more obsessive, Shepparton phone users may be experiencing nomophobia.
“Use becomes problematic when the digital takes precedence, to the detriment of the physical,” Mr Kaviani said.
“Mindless engagement can continue . . . where use is prohibited, like the cinema or library, or even become dangerous, such as using a phone while driving or crossing the road.”
Researchers found young people between the ages of 18 and 25 had the highest level of nomophobia, and men were almost twice as likely to engage in dangerous phone use than women.
Of the 2838 Australians surveyed, almost half of participants spent more than three hours a day on their phone.
And the more they used their phone, the higher their level of nomophobia and the greater their risk of dependent or dangerous use.
The study found users with nomophobia were almost 12 times more likely to have a problematic phone dependency, and 10 times more likely to use their phone in a prohibited space.
They were also 14 times more likely to engage in dangerous use – like mindlessly scrolling while driving, cycling or walking.
A Shepparton resident who wished to remain anonymous said they tried to be strict with other road rules, but often found themselves involuntarily reaching for their phone while driving.
“I don’t speed and stop at stop signs for longer than most – but texting or checking my phone while driving is a habit I’m struggling to shake,” they said.
“It’s really irritating, because I know how dangerous it is . . . I know in the time it takes to send a text, I could easily swerve off the road or hit someone.
“But it’s amazing how much I still feel the need to check my phone.”
According to the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), mobile phone use is emerging as one of the major factors causing death and serious injuries - especially amongst people aged under 25.
TAC data found drivers were 10 times more at risk of crashing if they were texting, browsing or emailing on their mobile phone.
In Greater Shepparton, mobile phone detection cameras were trialled last year to address illegal phone use and distraction on Victorian roads.
But despite the risks, one third of drivers and pedestrians still admit to checking their phone while driving or crossing the road, the TCA found.
Luckily, though, it's not all bad news.
Phones are inextricably tied up in how we live our lives - it's about acknowledging when too much use is becoming a dangerous habit.
“If your smartphone use is having a deleterious impact on the physical or psychological health of yourself or those around you, then that is a problem,” Mr Kaviani said.
“But I think the device, if used mindfully, can be a complement to the supercomputer we already carry around in our heads.”
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