Experts reveal how new common phone habit could be giving people anxiety
Topics: Health, Life, Mental Health, Technology, Sleep, Phones
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Robert Alexander/Getty Images / Getty Stock Images
Topics: Health, Life, Mental Health, Technology, Sleep, Phones
Experts have spoken out on the implications of having two smartphones.
It's increasingly common to have multiple phones nowadays, usually for work purposes.
Companies might give employees a work device so that they can keep all their professional correspondence to one phone, and have a personal one for texting friends and family.
Some of the benefits of doing this include having a better work-life balance; protecting your private information; and also coming across more professional in the workplace, says Associated Telecom.
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But there are some downsides to it too, especially when it comes your mental health.
For example, David Sheffield, professor of psychology at the University of Derby, UK, thinks that having two devices could be linked to anxiety or neuroticism.
Psychology Today defines neuroticism as 'a tendency toward anxiety, depression, self-doubt, and other negative feelings'.
"If you are more neurotic you might be using your phone more and may be more concerned about battery life, so two phones provides a safety net," Sheffield told Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, Dr Zaheer Hussain, senior lecturer in psychology at Nottingham Trent University, said that having two phones could be a sign of someone worrying that they might 'miss out news and notifications'.
"There is constant content being provided by social media, sometimes people will mindlessly scroll content out of a learned habit," he added.
Someone who is strict with their personal time and may turn off their cell at 5pm on dot won't face these issues as much, but others might feel the need to be reachable at all times.
"Many people seem to feel an expectation of being reachable all the time, both professionally and privately," Maxi Heitmayer, a researcher of human-computer interactions at the London School of Economics, explained.
"This then leads to the unfortunate scenario where there's two devices that draw in and compete for attention."
It's not just having two phones that's an issue though, just having one cellphone and using it too much can cause a host of issues.
One thing your phone can impact is your sleep, especially if you go on your device if you're struggling to nod off.
Dr Biquan Luo, CEO of LumosTech, urged people to steer clear of their social channels if they can't fall asleep.
"If you can't fall back asleep after 10 or 15 minutes, it's time to get out of bed," he advised, instead of turning to your cell as a means of distraction.
"Try going to a quiet and comfortable place at home, like the couch, and engage in a quiet, low-stimulation activity, such as reading a book or doing a calming activity, until you feel sleepy again - then return to bed."