Where broken phones can sure be a heart break for some, a study conducted found that people, especially teenagers, would rather prefer to have their bones broken instead of their phones.

A study found that a large number of people usually suffer from ‘Nomophobia’ – fear of not having your mobile phone or not being able to use mobile phones. The study was done to observe the rise of nomophobia in teenagers.

The results showed that around 53% people in Britain feel anxious with increased stress levels when they are unable to use their mobile phones. Whereas in the US, around 66% people suffer from nomophobia. Where 34% people answered phone calls during intimate moments, one in every five people is more likely to forget wearing shoes than forget to take their phones, as per Tech Juice.

Study finds screen time has minimal effect on mental health of teens

For the study, author Adam Alter questioned teenagers, “Imagine you have this very unpleasant choice. So, you can either watch your phone tumble to the ground and shatter into a million pieces or you can have a small bone in your hand broken.”

Alter discovered that people of older age found the question ridiculous and prioritized their health over phones. However, shockingly, around 40%-50% of the teenagers preferred to have their bones broken than to have their phones broken.

He observed that teenagers would ask follow-up questions such as which hand is targeted, or if they can still use the phone with that broken bone or if it was the bone that would be needed to make them able to scroll through the phone.

The answers can also base on the increasing prices of smartphones these days, but Alter believes that other factors including mobile phones acting as a portal to social world, which is very important for teenagers, quoted Business Insider.