A study by Cisco found that 90 per cent of young people in Australia, or those under 30 years old, fear having no mobile phone. That fear is called nomophobia.

The fear is a subconscious one, said Kevin Bloch, chief technology officer of tech firm Cisco. The survey also found that 20 people of Aussies admit to texting while behind the wheels.

Mr Bloch explained the fear to young people considering the smartphone as an extension of themselves during their waking hours which causes them to check their devices for SMS, emails and social media fees every 10 minutes.

The Cisco survey had 3,800 respondents. It asked five questions, namely:

1. You first check your phone?

a) As soon as you wake up

b) During breakfast

c) On the way to work

d) When you get a message

2. How often do you check it?

a) Every 5 minutes

b) Every 30 minutes

c) Every hour

d) Couple of times a day

3. Where do you keep your mobile phone while you sleep?

a) Under the pillow

b) Beside the bed

c) Other side of the room

d) In another room

4. Do you take your phone with you to the bathroom?

a) Usually

b) Sometimes

c) You've considered it

d) Never

5. What do you use it mostly for?

a) Social media

b) Emails

c) Music and games

d) Texts and calls.

Respondents who picked letter A got 8 points, B 6 points, C 4 points and D 2 points. A score of 29 to 40 confirmed the respondent is suffering from nomophobia, while 16 to 28 scores said he is on the slippery slope and 10 to 15 means he has no evidence of nomophobia.

Mr Bloch pointed out that this love affair of young people with the smartphone is both enabling and crippling at the same time.

Smartphone addiction is felt not only among young Aussies, but also in South Korea and other nations.

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, adviser of the Queensland government on computer safety said young people will remain real-wired children, but debunked media focus on the negative impact of the technology such as cyber bullying, sexting, malware and scams.

"There is a substantial upside ... Smartphones and tablets have created unprecedented opportunities to promote positive mental health, enabling diagnosis, prevention and treatment of mental illness on a scale never imagined," Courier Mail quoted Mr Carr-Gregg.

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