Ever left your phone at home on a day when you don’t have time to back and get it? Did you have a knot in your stomach all day? Were you angrier or more sad than usual? These may be signs that you have a case of the newest fear titled: Nomophobia.

Nomophobia means the fear of being without access to a working cell phone. Nomophobia may be the most common fear among today’s society.

“I’ve never heard of it. That is just ridiculous,” said Kylee King ‘20.

Megan Stefl ‘20 added on, saying she thinks that it is fake and not a real problem to worry

about. King and Stefl are not the only ones. Many other students expressed disbelief or hilarity at the definition of nomophobia saying that no one really has that fear.

But nomophobia is real. Although no statistics are shown on what percentage of people in the U.S have this phobia, 66 percent of the population in the U.K say they have nomophobia.

Other students at PHS own up to the fact that they believe they do struggle with this fear.

“When I’m grounded and don’t have my phone, it is hard to function,” said Claire Awe ‘20.

“Sure, I have it,” said Paige Timpe ‘20.

“The findings of our study suggest that users perceive smartphones as their extended selved and get attached to the devices,” Dr. Kim Ki Joon told the Guardian.

According to the Guardian, an American study showed that being disconnected or separated from one’s cell phone increases heart rate and blood pressure.

Luckily, people no longer have to wonder if they have nomophobia because just like most things that need to be diagnosed there’s a quiz for that. Just a quick google search will give you plenty of options for helping you decide if you have this phobia or not. And, the knowledge is helpful.

“There are studies that show those who score high on the test tend to avoid face-to-face interactions, have high levels of social anxiety and maybe even depression,” said Caglar Yildirim, an assistant professor of human computer interaction, to CNN.

Knowing if you have nomophobia could help you face your fears before it becomes an issue in your daily life.

“It might affect your ability to work or study, because you want to be connected to your smartphone all the time, so if any of this applies to you, then it’s time to start looking at your behavior and level of anxiety,” Yildirim said to CNN.