12 simple statements: How to tell that you’re addicted to smartphones

Many of us are probably a little addicted to smartphones and even fewer will admit to it. But have no fear, because there is a list of 12 statements that you can ask yourself, or someone you suspect is addicted to smartphones, to find out if you are truly an addict or not. Before we dive into the list, I’ll preface them with some background – it’s been postulated that there are “six signs” when it comes to addiction, which are salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawl, conflict and relapse – and as you’ll see very soon, the 12 statements to do with smartphones fall neatly into each one of these categories.

So here are the statements – make sure to make a note of how many statements you agree with:

Salience

1. The first thing I reach for after waking in the morning is my cellphone.

2. I would turn around and go back home on the way to work if I had left my cellphone at home.

Euphoria

3. I often use my cellphone when I am bored.

4. I have pretended to take calls to avoid awkward social situations.

Tolerance

5. I find myself spending more and more time on my cellphone.

6. I spend more time than I should on my cellphone.

Withdrawal symptoms

7. I become agitated or irritable when my cellphone is out of sight.

8. I have gone into a panic when I thought I had lost my cellphone.

Conflict

9. I have argued with my spouse, friends, or family about my cellphone use.

10. I use my cellphone while driving my car.

Relapse

11. I have tried to curb my cellphone use, but the effort didn’t last very long.

12. I need to reduce my cellphone use, but am afraid I can’t do it.

Now, to interpret the results of this, you’ll need to know how many statements you agreed with and correlate this with whichever group you fit into below:

0-2 “Agrees”

You are either living in a monastery or have the patience and self-restraint of a monk. Alternatively, technology simply scares you.

3-4 “Agrees”

You have not yet reached your tipping point, but need to carefully assess how your cellphone is influencing your life.

5-7 “Agrees”

You have crossed the tipping point and are moving quickly to full-blown cellphone addiction.

8 + “Agrees”

You need a reservation at the Betty Ford Clinic for habitual cellphone users.

So what do you score? I scored a very unflattering 9, but that’s hardly surprising. We’d love to hear what you scored in the comments below.

Source: Yahoo Tech via BGR