A Study to Assess the Mobile Usage Pattern and Risk of Developing Nomophobia Among Students of Selected Colleges in Ludhiana, Punjab

Abstract

Background of the study: If the vehicle served as the dominant emblem of adolescent autonomy and prestige in the 20th century, then communication meets fashion. It seems to be the cell phone in the 21st century. The mobile phone has evolved from its early associations with affluence and corporate leaders to become a symbol of modern youth culture. It is the main method of contact among students, making them approachable at any time and from any location. Methodology: The study was exploratory in nature and used a successive sampling approach on a sample of 100 students from chosen universities. The instrument used to gather information on mobile usage patterns and the likelihood of acquiring nomophobia was a self-structured rating scale and self-reporting check list. Results: The largest number of students who use their phones normally is 55 (68.25 percent), while the least number of students who do so is 25 (31.25 percent). The highest number of pupils at risk of acquiring nomophobia is 67 (83.75%), while the lowest risk is 3 (3.75%) of all students. The correlation between cellphone usage and the probability of acquiring nomophobia was determined to be 0.506. Conclusion: According to the study's findings, there is a moderately strong (positive) correlation between students' mobile usage habits and their chance of being nomophobic.