Nomophobia and its effects on seafarers

BACKGROUND: New technologies for ships affect many aspects of seafarers’ lives at work. Nowadays, many shipowners provide their ships with internet access for the personal use of the crew. After all these developments, nomophobia is no longer a phenomenon far from seafarers. Nomophobia affects mental health and motivation in seafarers, like all people who can use smartphones. Until now, there has been no study investigating nomophobia in seafarers and its effects on life at sea. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of nomophobia among seafarers and examine the causes and consequences of differences between groups. METHODS: A previously designed and tested questionnaire was used to determine nomophobia and its effects on seafarers. Three hundred fifty one seafarers participated in the study. ANOVA and T-tests were performed with SPSS 22 package program to find significant differences. RESULTS: Nomophobia differed significantly according to age groups, gender, and education level. Headache and fatigue increased in direct proportion to the level of nomophobia. CONCLUSION: It was found that 65.2% of the seafarers had moderate to severe nomophobia.