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The University of Florida, a component of the Florida state university system, issued the following news release:
For most people, heeding these warnings in hospitals or at the movies is as simple as pressing a button. But for a growing number of people across the globe, the idea of being out of touch, even just for a 90-minute movie, is enough to induce anxiety, says a University of Florida psychologist who studies addictions to the Internet and other technologies.
Although cellular phones and personal digital assistants such as the BlackBerry were created to make modern life more convenient, they're actually beginning to interfere in the lives of users who don't know when to turn them off, says Lisa Merlo, an assistant professor of psychiatry in the UF College of Medicine.
"It's not so much talking on the phone that's typically the problem although that can have consequences too," Merlo said. "(It's) this need to be connected, to know what's going on and be available to other people. That's one of the hallmarks of cell phone addiction."
Unlike addictions to alcohol, drugs or even gambling, it can be hard to pinpoint problematic cell phone use. Almost everyone has a cell phone and uses it regularly. But if someone can't get through dinner without sending text messages or furiously...