Where's My Phone?

A 2010 study in the UK found that nearly 53% of mobile phone users in Britain tend to be anxious when they "lose their mobile phone, run out of battery or credit, or have no network coverage". The study found that about 58% of men and 47% of women suffer from the phobia, and an additional 9% feel stressed when their mobile phones are off. 

Shambare, Rugimbana & Zhowa (2012) claim that mobiles are "possibly the biggest non-drug addiction of the 21st century" and that college students may spend up to nine hours every day on their phones. This is an example of "a paradox of technology" that is both freeing and enslaving.