We’ve all heard of fear of heights, spiders, and even clowns. But now scientists are studying a new kind of fear – the anxiety that comes from being without ones’ mobile phone. It’s called Nomophobia.
The mobile phone was invented in 1973 and became available to consumers in 1983 for the bargain price of $4,000!
The first truly smartphone (the iPhone) didn’t appear on the scene until 2007. It was referred to as “revolutionary and magical.” Hard to believe that was only ten years ago!
Here are some powerful statistics:
- Two-thirds of all consumers own smartphones.
- Americans check their phones 8 billion times a day.
- Mobile now drives more than 50% of e-commerce traffic.
What that means for your business is that you need to give your customers fast and easy ways to find and reach you and make appointments using their smartphones.
Sure…our devices have made our lives more convenient. They can help you grow your business and allow you to market from anywhere. On a personal level, they can keep you from getting lost and make communicating with friends and family much simpler.
But we all need to unplug every now and then. Cell phone addiction has become a very real problem and can actually create health issues and keep us from paying attention to what’s happening in the “real world.”
- Don’t bring your phone to bed! Here’s why.
- Here are some great tips for beating a cell phone addiction.
- This new summer camp is designed to help adults reduce their dependence on electronics.
Not only can these facts and stats help you recover from nomophobia, they can help you discourage customers and employees from using their cell phones non-stop in your place of business.
Be sure you have a clear phone usage policy. Post it on your website and in your place of business and lead by example. Need to encourage someone to hang up? The Manners Mentor offers some tips on how to do it.
Not sure if you have a cell phone dependency? Ironically, this app can help you track your phone usage!
