The first step to beating smartphone addiction is acknowledging you have it. But how do we know if we are addicted to our phones? After all, smartphone addiction is difficult to identify as we all use our phones so frequently. The line between the need to use a device and being addicted to it is very thin. However, there is some telltale symptoms that those concerned about it should be aware of. One that many people may have experienced is known as phantom cell phone vibration; when our body has become conditioned to expect some kind of smartphone interaction, so much so that we imagine the sensation of a vibration.
More importantly though, how do you combat smartphone addiction if you do in fact suffer from it? In South Korea, one of the most heavily affected countries in the world, the science ministry now require schools to teach classes on internet addiction with a particular focus on smartphones. They also organise holidays free of technology in an attempt to detach students from their handsets.
In a culture that almost demands being connected to the internet, smartphone addiction is just as difficult to combat as it is to identify. Many people will be able to use the technology we have at our fingertips in a way that is useful, be it for communication or entertainment, without letting it become a problem. However, if you are spending more time talking to your Twitter friends than your actual friends, if you are more interested in engrossing yourself in the world of a smartphone game than real life, perhaps it's time to take some small steps towards preventing or managing what could be an addiction.