From school buses in Abu Dhabi to late-night work chats in Dubai, smartphones rarely leave our hands.
For many in the UAE, it is a lifeline — for work, family, safety and social connection. But a growing body of research suggests that the unease people feel when they are separated from their phones may be more than a passing discomfort.
A study quoted in the International Journal of Research Studies in Education found that 94 per cent of American mobile users suffer from "nomophobia"—the irrational fear or anxiety of being without a mobile phone.
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While the study focuses on the US, mental health professionals pointed out that the findings strongly resonate with patterns they are seeing across the Middle East, including in the UAE.
Nomophobia does not usually present as a condition people self-identify with. Instead, doctors say it often shows up in quieter, more familiar ways— trouble sleeping, irritability, anxiety and difficulty concentrating —especially when the phone is out of reach.
Poor sleep quality, psychological strainDr Omar Bin Abdulaziz, Specialist Psychiatry at NMC Royal Hospital, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, said the issue is deeply tied to how embedded smartphones have become in daily routines.
“In clinical settings, healthcare professionals rarely see patients describing ‘nomophobia’ itself. Instead, it appears through sleep disturbance, anxiety, irritability, reduced concentration, and stress-related physical complaints, particularly when the phone is unavailable. These symptoms often reflect how deeply smartphones have become woven into daily liferather than a stand-alone disorder."
Dr Omar Bin Abdulaziz
In the UAE, studies among students and young adults show high levels of problematic smartphone use, commonly associated with poor sleep quality and psychological strain. Clinically, this mirrors what many practitioners observe locally: phones are essential for work, family connection, and safety, but overuse can quietly affect well-being if boundaries are lost.
For parents, teachers and employers, the question is often where to draw the line between heavy but normal use and something more concerning.
Dr Abdulaziz explains that frequency alone is not the key issue.
“Phone use becomes a mental health concern not by how often someone uses it, but by how much control and balance they retain. It crosses a clinical line when there is persistent distress, loss of control, and a clear impact on sleep, mood, relationships, or performance.
Red flags include significant anxiety or agitation when separated from the phone, repeated failed attempts to cut down, sleep disruption, withdrawal from family or offline activities, and growing conflict at home. For adolescents, emotional dependence on online validation is an important signal to explore further.”
From habit to mental health concernAdolescents and young adults are particularly vulnerable, clinicians say, because phones are often their primary social space. In the UAE’s highly connected environment, this dependence can intensify quickly.
Sreevidhya Srinivas, Clinical Psychologist at Medcare Camali Clinic, highlights that nomophobia is increasingly recognised in therapy rooms, even if patients do not use the term themselves.
“Nomophobia, or the fear of being without one’s mobile phone, is increasingly being recognised in everyday clinical and therapy settings, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Healthcare professionals are observing a pattern of heightened anxiety, irritability, restlessness and panic-like symptoms when individuals are separated from their devices. Sleep disturbances, reduced attention span, difficulty concentrating, and emotional dysregulation are also commonly reported."
Sreevidhya Srinivas
"In the UAE, where digital connectivity plays a central role in work, education, and social interaction, these concerns are becoming more visible in clinical practice. While large-scale, country-specific data is still emerging, clinicians are noting a growing number of cases where excessive smartphone reliance is contributing to anxiety-related complaints, poor sleep hygiene and reduced emotional resilience, especially among younger populations.”
According to Srinivas, the shift from habit to mental health concern becomes clear when phones start replacing coping skills.
“Phone dependence begins to shift from a common habit to a mental health concern when it starts to interfere with daily functioning, emotional well-being and interpersonal relationships. Key red flags include intense anxiety or distress when access to a phone is limited, compulsive checking behaviours, disrupted sleep patterns, social withdrawal, and declining academic or work performance."
Warning signs in adolescentsIn adolescents, warning signs may present as increased irritability, reduced frustration tolerance, emotional reliance on devices for comfort, and difficulty coping with boredom or stress without digital stimulation. When technology use becomes the primary means of emotional regulation or avoidance, it signals the need for professional attention.
Mental health specialists stress that treatment is not about banning phones — an unrealistic goal in modern life — but about restoring balance.
Dr Abdulaziz emphasised that most clinical advice focuses on gradual, practical changes rather than strict rules.
“Most clinicians focus on balance rather than restriction. Common recommendations include protecting sleep by keeping phones out of bedrooms, gradually increasing comfort with short periods of disconnection, and reducing non-essential notifications that drive compulsive checking.
For adolescents, family-based approaches work best — clear, agreed-upon boundaries combined with parents modelling healthy use themselves. Importantly, clinicians also look for underlying anxiety, low mood, or attention difficulties, as addressing these often reduces unhealthy phone dependence naturally.”
Doctors reiterated that while there is still no large-scale UAE-specific prevalence data, regional studies suggest similar trends across the Arab world — particularly among young adults and women — reinforcing what UAE clinicians already see daily.
Dr Shaju George, Specialist Psychiatrist at International Modern Hospital Dubai, adds that while nomophobia is not formally recognised as a standalone diagnosis, it is increasingly screened for in clinics.
Dr Shaju George
“Mental health professionals increasingly see nomophobia as part of a broader pattern of problematic smartphone use and anxiety rather than a formally recognised diagnosis (it is not currently in the DSM-5 or ICD-11 as a standalone disorder). Nonetheless, practitioners are observing consistent psychological and physical symptoms in everyday clinical encounters:
Anxiety, fear or panic when separated from the phone or without connectivity.
Physiological reactions such as trembling, sweating, palpitations (tachycardia), breathing changes, agitation and disorientation in the absence of the device.”
