Feeling included and safe: The good side of always carrying your phone

A reduced ability to focus and pay attention. Fewer memories. Isolation. Sleeping problems. Anxiety. Addiction. The list of all the bad things that smartphones have brought to society is long and everybody knows it well. Still, if we carry one with us everywhere we go despite all this, there must be a better explanation than simple, mindless addiction. The advantages are also evident: they allow us to communicate, access information, make payments, take photos, find our way and a long etcetera. But is the good enough to compensate for all the bad?

There are less studies that focus on the positive side of being glued to a mobile device than those that deal with the havoc that this dependency can cause, something that Frank Schneider, a teacher at the University of Amsterdam and one of the authors of one of these studies on the good, attributes, among other things, to the negativity bias of human beings. “Just as bad news tends to carry more weight in journalism, the same thing happens in the scientific journal market,” he explains.

Schneider’s study, published in April 2023 in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, looks into the role of smartphones as comfort objects, akin to children’s blankets or stuffed animals. To do this, they focused on the perception of social threat and ostracism, and whether this was reduced solely by having a cell phone at hand. Their main results showed that the smartphone acted as a buffer, and that those who had one in their pocket felt less excluded than those who did not. Furthermore, they also concluded that thinking about the social functions of a smartphone (social apps) helps reduce the feeling of ostracism better than when the device only has information apps. Still, Schneider admits that more research is necessary.

Changes in the brain

There is a positive side to the effects of constant cell phone use on the brain. Having so much access to so much information at all times makes it necessary to filter better, knowing what is important and what is not. “The prefrontal cortex helps us with this, and with the use of mobile phones, we are seeing that this ability is enhancing,” explains Diego Redolar, a teacher at the Open University of Catalunya and expert in neuroscience.

The other aspect in which smartphones have revolutionized our lives is that of contact with other people. In this case, those situations in which there are several people together and, instead of talking, everyone is on their phone, are often criticized. Of course, they may be scrolling endlessly on X, but they may also be having a conversation with someone who is not present.

“There are structures in our brain that are very important for what in neuroscience is known as social cognition, that ability we have to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, to communicate with others.” By giving us the opportunity to be in contact with people with whom we otherwise would not be able to, the mobile phone can enhance this social cognition. “Especially from an emotional point of view, in people who are suffering from social isolation or who are in a vulnerable situation because they lack a support network, just having a cell phone generates a perception of security, and that reduces fear.” In this sense, Redolar points out that, for instance, it has been found that having a cell phone on you “can reduce the activation of the amygdala, which can induce anxiety.” In the end, it is a matter of knowing that “if I get lost in the woods and need to be rescued, I have that option, or that if I’m sad I can call a friend,” he says.

Is it nomophobia?

So much of our daily routine revolves around our smartphone, that turning back if we realize that we left it at home does not have to be a cause for concern. If it has replaced our wallet and we always use it to pay, or if we need it to access services for which we use two-step authentication, spending a day without it can be a real problem. In other words, feeling a little nervous when facing a day without your phone does not necessarily have to be a symptom of anything deeper.

“Nomophobia [anxiety caused by not having a cell phone around], or the problematic use of social networks, are problems that exist, but they involve making dysfunctional and inappropriate use of the technology,” explains Joaquín González-Cabrera, a researcher at the International University of La Rioja. That is, it is a situational and social phobia that makes “people feel a deep, irrational and disproportionate fear of not being able to use their mobile phone or of being left without coverage and/or battery (let’s not talk about cell phone dependency or addiction).” Carrying our cell phone everywhere we go does not automatically make us nomophobic, just like using social networks is not synonymous with being hooked on them.

“The smartphone is a tool that allows us to conjugate many verbs, including feeling connected with our loved ones and friends and feeling part of a social fabric,” says the researcher. The risks arise when improper use is made. “These usually appear when it is used compulsively, when the online context is always preferred over the offline one, when we can’t stop thinking about it and, most especially, when we begin to notice negative consequences in our lives,” he lists.

All the experts consulted insist on the need to find that balance: taking advantage of all the benefits without falling into dependency and problematic uses. “Used well, the smartphone allows people to connect their online reality with their offline reality. Both sides shape and form people’s reality, especially in current adolescence and emerging adulthood. For many boys and girls, a message of support via WhatsApp, Telegram or similar services is as important as a pat on the back or a look of support,” states García-Montejo. “We must prevent the problems, but the uses of technology are very varied, and many are positive,” he concludes.

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