In these times dominated by social networks, smartphones and computers, there is increasingly the birth of new phobias which, although not yet recognized and therefore not yet fully entered the DSM (statistical diagnostic manual of mental disorders), are in any case subject to growing interest by experts in the sector.
By phobia, of course, we do not mean the simple interest and use of these new technologies, which have now become of common daily use for most of us, as obviously one unmotivated and irrational fear towards real or imagined situations; The prevalent emotion is anxiety, which communicates to the brain the presence of a “threat”. The anxiety, which by its nature usually causes two types of reactions, or the attack or escape, in these cases causes the latter to prevail in the individual, implementing what is the protective behavior par excellence, or avoidance.
Among these new generation phobias, we mention the so -called “nomophobia“, Linked to the fear of being in situations where you do not have a mobile network, data connection or battery of the mobile phone or computer charge. From a search carried out in Great Britain it emerged that about 58% of men and 48% of women are inclined to show an anxious state when she discovers they have a cell phone unloaded or realizes that they have no internet connection; to avoid running this risk, therefore, they avoid staying without cellular or without network (immersed in nature or far from city and inhabited centers).
It seems that we cannot speak of a predisposition linked to age, even if the common opinion would see young people as potentially more nomophobic ones. In reality, it all depends on the use that everyone makes of their smartphone or computer; The more important it is to remain “connected” with the rest of the world and feel able to connect at any time, the more likely an anxious reaction would be likely to the impossibility of doing it concretely.
In addition to nomophobia, remaining in the sphere of new technologies, another phobia that is spreading, in this case especially among the youngest and that has not yet received a real name, is that linked to the fear of not receiving a sufficient number of “Like” to your posts published on social media.
At the basis of this phobia it would seem to be there, as well as for the most “vintage “ Social phobia, the fear of the judgment of others: posting something and not obtaining feedback in terms of visibility and popularity can seriously question the self -esteem of an individual who, probably, will avoid since that moment to publish other personal contents, so as not to face the disappointment of receiving few “likes” again.
Finally, we talk about “deipnophobia“To indicate the persistent, unjustified and abnormal fear of facing the conversations during a lunch, a dinner or in any case a convivial moment. According to the APC (Association of Cognitive Psychology), about 13% of the population presented at least once in a lifetime an episode of deipnophobia; in the most serious cases, the individual puts in place the avoidance of all those” at risk “appointments, in order not to feel for Interesting or particularly brilliant.
Contacting specialists in the sector, especially cognitive-behavioral psychotherapists, can be the first valid step to deal with and try to solve these problems, based on the therapy protocols used for specific phobias and social phobias more commonly and widely known.
