Do You Have Phantom Vibrations?

Is there really anything that researchers won’t study? The answer of course is no and one of the most popular fields for them to study is cell phone or smartphone use. When there is a surging trend there is surely a lot of businesses and groups ready to study it and find better ways to profit from it. Such is the mobile device market where 2/3rds of people ages 25-34 have one and are now connected to the internet more than ever before.

So, I’m not one of the “Psychologists” or even “Researchers”. I didn’t even stay at one of those Holiday Inn Expresses last night:

If you want to meet one of those “smart” people check out our own Dr. Jim Taylor who writes the “Psychology of Technology” for us and is pretty well known for what he does. Frankly, he scares the shit out of me. Not sure I want some understanding the whacked out stuff I do. It’s bad enough I got my wife pointing it all out to me.

I was reading an article out of MensHealth that indicated that there were 4 signs that you were addicted to your cellphone/smartphone:

Anticipation: Frequently thinking about calls or messages you may receive.

Activity interference: Choosing to spend time on your phone rather than talk to friends or family or engage in other activities.

Emotional reaction: Becoming angry when someone interrupts your phone time, or feeling irritated when not on your phone.

Problem Recognition: Recognizing you spend too much time on your phone and trying to cut back.

Yep, nailed every one of them. My guess is a lot of you might find yourselves admitting the same thing as well. Now I have read all this before, admitted I had a problem, and took steps to reduce the time I stay connected to the internet with my mobile devices. But it was something mentioned in the attached video that I had missed apparently and not heard of. Phantom Vibrations. (Click Here)

According to Wiki, Phantom Vibrations are:

Phantom vibration syndrome or phantom ringing is the sensation and false belief that one can feel one’s mobile phone vibrating or hear it ringing, when in fact the telephone is not doing so.

What the crap man? It appears that term was first used in 2003 in an article entitled "Phantom Vibration Syndrome" published in the New Pittsburgh Courier, written under a pen name of columnist Robert D. Jones. The term is now widely known and recognized. It has even been voted “Word of the Year”.

So here is another issue I can add to my incessant need to have the latest device. (I get angry when I have to wait), hacking the poor device to death, making sure it stays in pristine condition ensconced in the best possible case, and then the above mentioned usage issues.

So if you feel something strange in your pants, specifically where you typically carry your device, and you had not read one of Simmon’s latest articles, chances are you are suffering from Phantom Vibrations.

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