Prevention of nomophobia among students in higher education using Nominal Group Technique (NGT)

Abstract

Nowadays, mobile phones have become an essential necessity for people of all ages, including students. Due to its diverse range of features and ease of use, it has become addictive, leading to psychological issues commonly referred as nomophobia. Nomophobia (acronym of "no-mobile-phobia") induces heightened anxiety and worry in individuals who cannot tolerate being separated from their mobile phones. Nomophobia has exerted a detrimental impact on students, compromising their academic achievement, social connectivity, and overall well-being. Hence, it is imperative to identify an early prevention to address nomophobia. This study aims to address prevention on nomophobia among students in higher education by employing the nominal group technique (NGT). NGT is a systematic approach employed to gather ideas and solutions from expert perspectives. Focusing on a specific area and consulting five academics experts, several solutions were proposed. The most agreed-upon strategies to prevent nomophobia among students include raising awareness about health impacts, establishing phone-free zones, and promoting outdoor activities. These are followed by setting usage boundaries, encouraging face-to-face interactions, and emphasizing the important role of parents in advising and managing their children's phone use, particularly at home.  Additionally, peer support and counselling services are essential solutions to help prevent students from experiencing severe levels of nomophobia. Acknowledging the harmful effects of nomophobia on students, the proposed preventive measures offer important guidance for fostering a healthier and more balanced relationship between students and their mobile phones. Future research may expand this study by obtaining preventions suggested from non-academics’ experts such as counsellor or medical doctors. Another area to be included in future research is to compare the current method with others such as interview or focus groups technique to obtain enrich results and findings.