“T’as pas vu mon téléphone?” – “Have you seen my phone?” – The question, uttered almost reflexively at the office, in a café, or at home, speaks volumes about our relationship with smartphones. Behind this now-common anxiety lies a phenomenon studied by neuroscience: nomophobia. The term describes the anxiety experienced when separated from one’s phone, whether We see turned off, dead, or simply out of reach.
In a society where the smartphone concentrates professional exchanges, personal discussions, information and entertainment, this dependence raises questions. Thibaud Dumas, a neuroscientist and author of J’arrête de scroller (ou presque) – “I’m stopping scrolling (or almost)” – explains that this condition resembles an anxiety state more than a formally recognized phobia. Increasingly, users, particularly young adults, feel affected, sometimes without even realizing it.
Nomophobia, a contraction of “no mobile phone” and “phobia,” designates the excessive fear of being deprived of one’s mobile phone. Though, Dumas nuances this definition. “I prefer to speak of anxiety rather than fear,” he states. It is not a phobia in the strict medical sense. Studies on the phenomenon are increasing, particularly in South Korea and India, but it is not yet an officially recognized medical term, according to Dumas. The possibility of including it in psychiatric classifications was considered in the 2010s, but ultimately did not come to fruition. “The discussion is ongoing,” the neuroscientist says.
The observed manifestations, however, are similar to those of anxiety disorders. “It is characterized by a very strong mental occupation, sometimes impulsive reactions, going as far as itching or even tremors in the most severe cases,” Dumas explains. Palpitations, agitation, or a feeling of panic can also occur when the phone is inaccessible.
The reason such separation provokes a reaction is that daily life largely revolves around smartphones. “We live in a society where many things converge towards them, and we quickly realize that it is complicated to do without them,” Dumas observes. Messages, social networks, news, professional applications – everything goes through this screen of a few centimeters. Dependence is not limited to a single utilize. Games, discussions, social networks, or the compulsive checking of notifications can fuel anxiety. “It’s a whole spectrum,” he emphasizes. The more permanent the connection becomes, the more difficult separation seems.
Dumas proposes a questionnaire in his book, composed of twenty statements to assess one’s level of dependence. One statement exemplifies this discomfort: “If I didn’t have my phone with me, I would be worried because I wouldn’t recognize if someone had tried to reach me.”
Taking awareness of the problem is the first step towards regaining control. “Often, it is by asking those around us that we realize we are completely dependent,” Dumas explains. However, this awareness can be difficult because “our attentional system turns away from the negative effects that the phone can have on us.” Subsequently, it becomes necessary to question one’s usage concretely. In what situations does one take their phone? With what specific objective? Was that objective actually achieved? These questions help identify automatisms and the moments when control slips away.
Installing alerts to monitor screen time, defining phone-free periods during the day, avoiding smartphone use upon waking and before bed, placing the device outside the bedroom at night, and seeking support from a professional (psychologist, sophrologist, hypnotherapist) are all suggested strategies. Approaches like sophrology, hypnotherapy, or cognitive behavioral therapy can help reduce compulsive behaviors and anxiety of separation, according to Liberlo. However, the goal is not to ban digital technology altogether. “Everyone is free to do what they aim for with their time,” Dumas reminds us. He nevertheless insists on an essential point: “The phone must be a tool under our control.” It is not the phone’s role to remind us to use it, especially through notifications. In other words, balance rests on a chosen, not a suffered, use. As he himself tempers, “I’m not saying we should all stop and go live in a cave,” “we just require to have a little more control over our lives and not be commanded by our phone.”
Research indicates nomophobia is an emerging psychopathology with psychophysiological mechanisms and clinical implications [1]. A systematic review and meta-analysis reveals significant variations in prevalence across populations and assessment methods [2]. The phenomenon, described as a fear of being without a smartphone or its services, is gaining increasing attention [3], and can manifest as psychosocial and physical dependency, potentially linked to behavioral addictions [4].
