Lost Without Your Mobile? Sounds Like a Case of Nomo-phobia

Fear of being out of mobile phone contact affects over 13 million people across the UK and is causing stress levels to soar, according to a report from the Post Office. The Post Office has coined a new term to describe this latest affliction to hit the ipod generation - "nomo-phobia".

The term characterises a generation of mobile phone users who worry about being out of mobile phone contact with friends, family and colleagues. The term is an abreviation of No Mobile Phobia.

Research shows that keeping in touch with friends or family is the primary reason people are wedded to their mobile; 55 per cent of people cited this as a reason for never switching off their phone. 10 per cent of people who never switch off said they needed to be contactable at all times because of their jobs, and nine per cent said that having their phone switched off made them anxious.

And with one in four of us used to never switching off our mobile phones, being out of mobile phone contact now ranks alongside traditionally stressful situations such as getting married, starting a new job and going to the dentist.

The Post Office warns that nomo-phobia could affect up to 53 per cent of mobile phone users -with 48 per cent of women and 58 per cent of men questioned admitting to experiencing feelings of anxiety when they run out of battery or credit, lose their phone or have no network coverage.

The Post Office's telephony expert stewart fox-mills said: "nomo-phobia is very real for many people in the uk. We're all familiar with the stressful situations of everyday life such as moving house, breakups and organising a family christmas - but it seems that being out of mobile contact may be the 21st century's contribution to our already manic lives.

"whether you run out of credit or battery, lose your phone or are in an area with no reception, being phoneless and panicked is a symptom of our 24/7 culture."

Posted to the site on 1st April 2008