Addictive behaviour, previously impossible, is now being displayed because of new technologies and smartphones in particular.
Dr. José María Vázquez Roel, a psychiatrist and the director of the Clinica Capistrano, which specialises in non-chemical addictions, says that technologies such as mobile phones, the internet and video games can cause addiction through their potential to act as means of escape or to promote compensatory emotional states. 14.6% of people in the Balearics are considered to be mobile addicts, and over 50% of the islands’ population are unable to go more than a day without looking at their phones.
Women and young people under the age of 24 are the most active users, while almost two-thirds of people in the Balearics use phones habitually for work and some 8% while driving.
This information comes from an analysis by Rastreator.com of how people in the Balearics and Spain use mobile technology.
How can mobile addiction be detected? Through change in character, irritability, denial of the problem, chronic failure in resisting the urge, and spending an excessive amount of time devoted to the addiction to the detriment of family, social and work responsibilities.
What can be done to overcome the addiction? The first thing is to recognise that there is a problem and then seek specialised help. "The person is unwell if the phone creates isolation and social problems," says Dr. Vázquez.