According to a Baylor University study in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, people who are addicted to cell phone usage and text messaging can be compared to shopaholics.
The new generation has another addiction to beware of - cell phone addiction. It's becoming a common sight to see people glued to their cell phone either on calls or more commonly text messaging. A new study compares the addiction to credit card misuse and compulsive buying.
"Cell phones are a part of our consumer culture," said study author James Roberts, Ph.D., professor of marketing and the Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing at Baylor's Hankamer School of Business. "They are not just a consumer tool, but are used as a status symbol. They're also eroding our personal relationships."
According to the professor, cell phone addiction is driven by impulsiveness and materialism. In a report published on Science Daily, "Cell phones are used as part of the conspicuous consumption ritual and also act as a pacifier for the impulsive tendencies of the user."
Previous reports on similar studies done by researchers claim that on an average, young adults send 109.5 text messages a day or approximately 3,200 texts each month. According to an older analysis a person receives 113 texts in a day on an average and checks their cell phones at least 60 times on a normal day. The report also suggests that a college student spends an average of seven hours a day on his cell phone.
"At first glance, one might have the tendency to dismiss such aberrant cell phone use as merely youthful nonsense -- a passing fad. But an emerging body of literature has given increasing credence to cell phone addiction and similar behavioral addictions," Roberts said.
Data from this recently conducted study also suggests that approximately ninety percent of college students own cell phones and this "serve more than just a utilitarian purpose," Roberts said. "Cell phones are accessible at any time, including during class, and possess an ever-expanding array of functions, which makes their use or over-use increasingly likely. A majority of young people claim that losing their cell phone would be disastrous to their social lives."
