A recent study has proved cellphone addiction to be contagious and can induce another person to start using his or her cellphone more often. It showed that if you were with another person who often checked his mail or messages you would soon be induced and magnetized to check your mail or messages.

The University of Michigan's researchers have observed the students in the dining halls and the coffee shops in the campus for a period of five months without interfering in anyone's activities. They recorded the activities of students with their cellphones at 10 second intervals.

In 24% of the recorded intervals, a student was spotted using his phone. As many as 40% of them had started using their phone in the interval right after their companion or who ever was beside them used it. Such a behavior was also found to be repetitive.

"Some of this could be people being primed to check their e-mail or phone messages, but this contagious use was happening several times in a 15 minute interaction," one researcher said.

The researchers believed that this pattern could be closely linked with the effects of Social inclusion and exclusion. When you are not using your phone when in a group of people who have been using their gadgets you will feel left out of the group.

However, this study was restricted to student who are commonly seen wielding their phones and the theory may not apply in different demographics such as elder people who don't often check messages or attend calls as frequently as students.

(AW- Anil)