We live in an age where social media rules our lives, making it hard to take our eyes off of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, WhatsApp etc.
Some users have been driven to the edge of depression, plagued by low self-esteem due to their ‘addiction’.
Experts have branded the damaging effects of too much screen time as ‘digital fragmentation syndrome’ (DFRAG).
It causes a catalogue of symptoms, which dozens of scientific papers have found strike those addicted to their phones and gadgets.
Take the following quiz to see whether you need to use your phone less;
You left the house without your phone, what do you do?
- Nothing, it can wait (1)
- Turn back and get the phone (2)
- That would never happen (3)
You are at a meeting when your phone vibrates, what do you do?
- Pick up the phone and see what’s up (1)
- Nothing, it can wait (2)
- Turn off the phone (3)
You wake up in the middle of the night and see your phone blinking, what do you do?
- Turn over on the other side and try to go back to sleep (2)
- Reach out after your phone to see if there are messages (1)
- I never bring my phone into the bedroom (3)
You have a report that needs to be done by tomorrow, what do you do?
- Start doing it but keep checking mail and social media as well (2)
- Sit down and get it done (1)
- I get on Facebook to relax and wait till the last possible minute to do the report (3)
You are in your car stuck in traffic, what do you do?
- Listen to music on the radio (2)
- Reach out for your phone to check messages (1)
- I simply keep calm and wait (3)
You are at dinner and glance at your phone and see notifications, what do you do?
- Pick up the phone to see what’s going on (1)
- Nothing, it can wait till you have time for it. (2)
- I would never bring my phone to the dinner table (3)
Your friends invite you over for game night, what do you do?
- Say no, you’d rather spend the time being online on my own (3)
- Say yes, grab your phone and go (2)
- Say yes, grab a board game to bring along and go (1)
You’ve been on Facebook for two hours and it is boring. What do you do?
- Decide to see what’s going on on Instagram and Twitter instead (3)
- Put down the phone and pick up a book to read (2)
- I’d never spend two whole hours on Facebook (1)
Someone promised to send you a message. What do you do?
- I keep checking my phone, wondering when I will get the message (3)
- I hope the message will show up soon but stay calm (2)
- I don’t think about it. It will show up when it does (1)
Your score:
- 9 to 12 points. Nothing to worry about. You are not likely to have any problems with smartphone addiction.
- 13 to 18 points. You are middle of the road. Maybe using your phone a little too much but still nothing serious to worry about.
- 18-27 points. You are a candidate for smartphone addiction and should think about using your phone less.
-Daily Mail