Can't Get Away from Your Phone? Research Finds Extreme Behavior That Makes You Chill

JAKARTA – Smartphone addiction is no longer just a joke term. Google searches related to "signs of smartphone addiction" have jumped 461% in the past year, along with the results of the latest survey showing how extreme the modern human's dependence on smartphones, especially Generation Z.

A national survey conducted by Compare and Recycle, a technology recycling company, revealed that many respondents were more willing to sacrifice basic habits - even doing absurd things - than having to live without a cell phone for seven days.

The results are a mix of worrying and ironic. About two in five respondents admitted that they would rather stop using caffeine altogether than lose access to their phones. Almost a quarter of respondents were willing to not see anyone for a week. One in seven people would rather shave their eyebrows, while 18% admitted that they could not take a shower to keep holding their phones.

Yes, the sidewalk. Public. Not a metaphor.

41% mengatakan mereka lebih memilih berhenti total dari pekerjaan mereka, 36% mengatakan mereka lebih memilih berhenti total dari pekerjaan mereka, dan 23% mengatakan mereka lebih memilih berhenti total dari pekerjaan mereka.

"Generation Z appears to be the group with the highest attachment. Some respondents from this age group stated that they were willing to walk on hot coals, jump from a plane, to make tattoos with the design of a stranger's choice, as long as they did not have to go a week without a cell phone.

"The surge in searches about addiction also shows an increasing awareness, or perhaps anxiety, of the public about their relationship with screens," said the report. "Research data in 2021 showed that the average American checks their phone up to 262 times per day - about once every 5.5 minutes. It's hard to call it "just a habit".

"Since 2014, extreme dependence on mobile phones has even been associated with an anxiety disorder called nomophobia, which is an excessive fear of being away from a mobile device," said Lee Elliott, Chief Product Officer at Compare and Recycle.

"Ironically, the solution comes from the technology companies themselves. Apple and Google have provided screen time monitoring features, including Digital Wellbeing on Android, which allows users to set usage limits consciously.

The survey became a kind of collective alarm. Maybe this is the right moment for a digital detox - putting down the phone for a while and getting back into interacting with real people. At least, it's more hygienic than licking the pavement.