ABSTRACT

Daily cell phone use has been steadily increasing over the last decade and has become a part of daily life. Cell phone users have become so accustomed to daily use of their phones that they may have developed physical symptoms and perceived anxiety related to use of their phones. The population under 30 years of age grew up with cell phones. The population over 30 did not. This study investigated whether adults 18-30 years of age report more physical symptoms as well as perceived anxiety related to phone usage, as compared to adults ages 31 and older. The study surveyed 152 subjects across the United States 18 years of age and older. Of the 152 participants, 7 subjects were 31 years or older and 145 subjects were 18-30 years old. The results found that subjects 18-30 years of age report slightly higher physical symptoms and anxiety related to cell phone use than subjects 31 and older. This study supports the hypothesis that younger cell phone users experience more physical symptoms and anxiety related to their phone than older cell phone users. Future research studies would benefit from a wider pool of respondents aged 31 and older. More studies are also needed to discover why younger people experience more anxiety and physical symptoms, and whether or not these symptoms are isolated to cell phone use or are more general in nature.