TEENAGERS WHO ARE THE MOST FREQUENT USERS OF CELLPHONES ARE MORE LIKELY THAN OTHER YOUNGSTERS TO SUFFER FROM UNHAPPINESS AND ANXIETY, ACCORDING TO A STUDY QUOTED WEDNESDAY BY THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, DPA REPORTED. THE SURVEY OF 575 SOUTH KOREAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, PRESENTED AT AN AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION MEETING IN TORONTO, IS AMONG THE FIRST TO EXPLORE THE EMOTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF TEENS' CELLPHONE HABITS. THE STUDY FOUND THAT THE TOP THIRD OF USERS - STUDENTS WHO USED THEIR PHONES MORE THAN 90 TIMES A DAY - SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ON TESTS MEASURING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY THAN STUDENTS WHO USED THEIR PHONES A MORE SEDATE 70 TIMES DAILY. FREQUENT USERS WERE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER FROM ALEXITHYMIA, OR INABILITY TO EXPRESS EMOTION, THAN STUDENTS IN THE BOTTOM THIRD. LEAD AUTHOR JEE HYAN HA SAID HEAVY CELLPHONE USERS INVOLVED IN HIS STUDY WEREN'T CLINICALLY DEPRESSED. RATHER, HE SAID, THE STUDENTS PROBABLY HAD SOME SERIOUS CASES OF TEEN ANGST. "THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEMSELVES FEEL BETTER BY REACHING OUT TO OTHERS," SAID HA, A PSYCHIATRIST AT YONGIN MENTAL HOSPITAL IN SOUTH KOREA. HA IDENTIFIED THE HEAVIEST USERS AS COMMUNICATING BY CELLPHONE ON AVERAGE ABOUT EVERY 10 MINUTES DURING WAKING HOURS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR USAGE WAS IN TEXT MESSAGES AND THEY CONTINUALLY CHECKED THEIR PHONES FOR MESSAGES AND OFTEN BECAME IRRITATED WHEN PEOPLE DIDN'T CALL RIGHT BACK. -
