A Study to Assess the Prevalence of Nomophobia among School Going Children

Our lives have been drastically altered by smart phones. Nowadays, we can't do anything without our phones. We must analyse ourselves or think clearly in order to determine whether a cell phone is a boon or a curse. We are all a part of technoculture. Schoolchildren have also been immersed in this aspect of techno-culture during the previous two years. We must properly prepare technology because each technology has both positive and negative elements. Overuse of mobile phones is extremely dangerous to one's health. Students need to have mobile phone to attend classes from the comforts of their home. Smart phone has become the basic necessity of school children daily life and students are slowly coping with this new method of technology for their academic progress. Over usage of mobile phone leads to such an extent that children comes across a situation where they cannot live without the use of mobile phone. Such a situation when students start to have fear when they cannot access their smart phones is known has nomophobia. The present study was carried among the school going children in the Surendernagar district of Gujarat. The findings of the study reveal that overall 52.58 % of the study subjects had moderate level of Nomophobia. Around 32.58 % of the study subjects had mild level of nomophobia. 14.40 of the school children had severe level of nomophobia, while only 0.44% had no signs and symptoms of Nomophobia. Mobile phones have lead to disturbance in the family relationship. Original Research Article Joe and Linson; JPRI, 33(48A): 205-211, 2021; Article no.JPRI.76553 206


INTRODUCTION
Nomophobia is a fear associated when we are not able to use mobile phone. It is also known has fear of being without a mobile phone. Nomophobia is slowly increasing among the adolescents. Nowadays every assignment and other works of the schools and colleges are given through the mobile [1]. The grip and fever of over use of mobile phone has captured among the school children also. Nomophobia is very common among the adolescents and teenagers. Even a small task of communicating with a family member in one house or even one room is done through the mobile technology [2]. The fear of nomophobia and the anxiety or tension is very high when someone loses their smart phones, or a situation when there are no network panic attacks occurs among children's and adolescents. There is a fear among adolescents when there battery power in the mobile phone is very low. This all situations are very alarming and lead to nomophobic like situation. Adolescents and mobile phone is become part and parcel of their life. It is very difficult to separate a mobile phone with one's personal life [3]. Nomophobic children will usually carry a extra smart phone and a battery backup. Adolescents who are suffering with nomophobia like situation. Such children will never switch their mobile phone off. Children and adolescents who have come across the signs and symptoms of nomophobia are very poor in their academic progress and they are not able to properly concentrate on their studies. Adolescents are not able to complete their task at proper time [4]. A Nomophobic child does not like to share their phones with their friends and colleagues. Such children will never allow others to even see their mobile phones. Nomophobic children needs t be properly cared. The usage of mobile phone needs to be reduced slowly and make them to have proper communication. Divertional therapy needs to be given to slowly reduce the time of mobile phone usage [5,6].


To assess the prevalence of nomophobia among school going adolescents.  To find the association between the prevalence of nomophobia among school going adolescents with the selected demographic variables.

Literature Review
The majority of the literature reviewed clearly indicated that the nomophobia is slowly and steadily increasing in the young adolescents. This COVID-19 pandemic has also affected in the over usage of mobile phones. In the current situation were majority of the schools had online classes. Students need to adopt the use of technology for their academic progress. The mobile phone is very attractive and it comes with tremendous features which make the young generation attracted towards the use of mobile phone. A smart phone provides great comforts and facilitates the accomplishment of the job or tasks and achieved greater popularity among the young generations. Smart phones have reduced the distance among the people. Smart phone over usage has come across with serious health problems also. As a result of various literature review carried out the issue has increased and characterized has addictive, antisocial and very dangerous. Mobile phone addiction is very prevalent among the young generation and is considered to be a serious health issue. This addiction can be compared same has that of addiction of harmful substances. The fear of being without mobile phone is known has nomophobia which is tremendously prevalent among the young generations. Maintenance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The present was carried to assess the prevalence of nomophobia among school going children. A descriptive survey approach was used to find out he prevalence of nomohpibia among young adolescents in the seklected school of Gujarat region. The study was carried out in the month of July 2020 to August 2020. A standardized tool was used to assess the prevalence of nomophobia. Nomophobia questionnaire (NMPQ) which consisted to 20 structured nomophobia questionnaires was used to assess the prevalence of nomophobia among the young adolescents in the age group of 11 to 19 years from the selected schools of Junagadh Region. A total subject is the present study were 1145 young school going children were selected from six different schools of Junagadh district of Gujarat. Samples were through convenient sampling technique. The data and the findings were tabulated and analyzed and represented in descriptive and inferential statistics.

Research Setting
The setting of the study was six different selected schools of Junagadh district of Gujarat. The sample or study subjects of the present study were 1145 participants were selected by the use of convenient sampling technique. The study subjects were selected based on the following inclusion criteria which were framed for the smooth conduct of the study:

Inclusion Criteria
 School children studying from 9 th to 12 th standard of selected schools.  School children who were present at the time of data collection

Structured personal profile
These Performa consisted of 12 socio demographic questionnaire to know about the participant's lifestyle. Performa consisted of age, gender, year of study, type of family, religion, number of mobile phone using, how much time you spend on mobile phone. How often do you check mobile phone, money spend on mobile phone per month monthly family income, are you aware of the term nomophobia.

Standardized nomophobia questionnaire (NMP-Q)
The main tool of the study consisted of Standard nomophobia questionnaire which was developed by Yildrim. The permission was obtained for the use of the standard tool. Nomophobia questionnaire consisted of 20 items to assess the prevalence of nomophobia.
Nomophobia questionnaire was used to measure the degree of mobile phone dependence or to classify the level of nomophobia among the school going children. The items of the questionnaire were based on the likert scale pattern marked on a 1 to 7 point scale. One mark was given when the participants totally disagree with the statement and 7 marks were awarded when the participants totally agreed to the statement. The standard questionnaire were divided into four sections:

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The Structured Nomohphobia questionnaire consisted of 20 items all together. The maximum score of the structured nomophobia questionnaire was 140 and the minimum score is 20. Higher scores was related to high degree of nomophobia and the lower score was related to no nomophibia.  found to be 32.58% in the young adolescents. This was followed severe type of nomophibia which was 14.40%. The least 0.44% of the children had no level of nomophoiba or had absence of nomophioba. This clearly states that nomophobbia is widely spread among the young adolescents in Junagadh districts of Gujarat.