Nomophobia: mobile phone addiction in Switzerland
Smartphones are becoming ever more important – and sometimes a problem. More and more people suffer from mobile phone addiction, or nomophobia. Comparis explains.
04.12.2025
Image / FG Trade
1. What is Nomophobia?
«Nomophobia» is the fear of being without a mobile phone. The word is an abbreviation of «No-Mobile-Phone-Phobia».
With mobile phone addiction you may experience anxiety when your mobile phone is not available. You may even feel nervous at the thought of being without your mobile phone.
Good to know: Mobile phone addiction is often closely linked to FOMO («fear of missing out»). This is the fear of missing out.
Scientifically, there is a distinction between nomophobia and mobile phone addiction. Mobile phone addiction is an addictive disorder; nomophobia, however, is an anxiety disorder.
2. What are the symptoms of mobile phone addiction?
The symptoms of mobile phone addiction are similar to the withdrawal symptoms of other addictions. If the mobile phone is not nearby, those affected will show
Nervousness
Stress
Restlessness
Social isolation
Compulsive checking behaviour
Nomophobia is not yet recognised as an official diagnosis.
When are you considered addicted to mobile phones?
Someone is considered addicted if the desire for a certain behaviour or consumption severely restricts the person concerned. Often, addicted people lose control of their behaviour. They cannot stop despite negative consequences.
When your mobile phone use becomes an addiction varies from person to person. However, these points may indicate nomophobia:
You look at your mobile phone after waking up and before going to bed.
You feel helpless when you leave the house without your mobile phone or the battery is empty. ist.
You miss things around you because you’re distracted by your mobile phone.
You have pain in your fingers, wrist, shoulders or neck.
You use your mobile phone to cheer yourself up or relieve stress.
You communicate more via your mobile phone than in person.
You’re hardly interested in other hobbies anymore.
Your thoughts constantly revolve around your mobile phone. You regularly glance at the screen even when there’s no reason to.
You neglect people and activities in real life to spend time on your mobile phone.
Swiss people spend an average of 5.7 hours a day online. Younger people use the Internet more than older people. However, not all online use takes place on mobile phones – and mobile phone use is not limited to online services.
There are hardly any studies on average mobile phone use in Switzerland. Most of them focus on children and adolescents. In Germany, the average daily mobile phone usage is between 1.5 and 3.5 hours. Use decreases with age.
The consequences of excessive mobile phone use include, for example, inability to perform at work, at university and at school. Using a mobile phone while driving can increase the risk of accidents, as concentration and coordination can be negatively affected.
Frequent smartphone use can also affect sleep. For example, it has an impact on the duration and quality of sleep.
Smartphone addiction can also affect mental health. For example, there are links between heavy mobile phone use and depression or anxiety. Conflicts with people close to you can also arise from mobile phone use.
3. Survey on smartphone addiction: how many people are addicted to their mobile phone?
According to the Comparis survey, about 78% of respondents show signs of nomophobia. Only about 22% of respondents can easily do without their mobile phone.
Most affected by nomophobia are people between the ages of 16 and 35. In this age group, 90% of respondents show at least moderate signs of smartphone addiction.
Among 36- to 55-year-olds, over 22% could do without their smartphone. In the age group of those over 55, it’s just over 35%.
You can read all the survey results in the media release (only available in German) on smartphone addiction.
More frequent nomophobia in households with children
In households with children, mobile phone addiction is more pronounced than in childless households. Almost 35% of households with children show clear signs of nomophobia.
The everyday behaviour of parents with children shows that 37% of them always carry their smartphone with them to stay reachable.
For parents, the smartphone is no longer just a communications device, but an indispensable tool for coordinating appointments, school and emergencies. Switching off the device has become a luxury that many can no longer afford.
Here, too, the younger group of 16- to 35-year-olds is more affected: over 45% of the parents surveyed show clear signs of smartphone addiction. Among 36- to 55-year-olds, it is just under 34%, and in the age group above, only 24%.
4. Mobile phone addiction symptoms in the Comparis survey
About 35% of respondents feel stressed when their smartphone is not nearby. About the same number feel uncomfortable even at the thought of a period without their mobile phone. With a low battery level, almost 33% of Swiss people get nervous.
Over 30% of people always carry their smartphone with them – and 29% regularly interrupt activities to take a look at their mobile phone.
The results show that many people are emotionally attached to their smartphone. To reduce the associated stress, conscious breaks can help – such as screen-free evenings or a mobile-free day each week. Those who learn to stay offline more often will not only find more peace but also more attention to what matters in real life.
5. Mobile phone addiction: What can I do and how can I overcome it?
Do you suffer from nomophobia? Then a digital detox or a mobile phone detox can help you. This means that you partially or completely refrain from using digital media. The following tips will help you:
Time limits:Set fixed times or time limits for smartphone use or for specific apps. You can usually set these limits on your smartphone.
Digital detox apps: There are various apps that help you take a break from your mobile phone.
Turn off notifications: If you receive fewer notifications, you will be less distracted.
Put your mobile phone away: Place your mobile phone well away from you, preferably in another room. This makes it harder to use.
No mobile phone before bedtime: Stop using your mobile phone at least one hour before bedtime. This means that your thoughts won’t revolve around the contents of your mobile phone when you go to bed, and it also improves your sleep quality.
Rules for mobile-free activities: Set rules for yourself for when you do not want to use your smartphone. This can be during meals or work, for example.
Create alternatives: For example, use a conventional alarm clock instead of your mobile phone.
You can continue to use your smartphone. However, more conscious use can help you find a healthy level of mobile phone use.
Do you feel that you cannot reduce mobile phone use without help? Then psychotherapy may also help you.
6. Frequently asked questions about mobile phone addiction
To tackle nomophobia, you can use your smartphone more consciously. For example, you can set fixed times for mobile phone use. Also create alternatives to your smartphone, such as a conventional alarm clock or a wristwatch.
It’s important that you find a healthy level of mobile phone use.
Mobile phone addiction is also called nomophobia. This is the fear of being without a mobile phone.
Where mobile phone addiction begins varies from person to person. Does mobile phone use restrict you in everyday life and you cannot stop despite negative consequences? These can be signs of mobile phone addiction.
This article was first published on 12.11.2024
