Ringxiety

A disturbing phenomenon that is affecting people around the world, in the present times, is ringxiety. Sounds familiar? In the next few lines, you will feel a strong déjà vu, like it has happened to you before! Picture this: You are sitting in your workplace and trying to solve a problem that has been getting the better of you for quite some time now. Suddenly, you hear your cell phone ringing and take it out of your pocket to take the call. Quite surprisingly, there is no one on the phone and apparently no missed calls either. This alarming phenomenon is called Ringxiety (neologism formed from the words ‘ringer’ and ‘anxiety’).

 

The term ringxiety was coined by a doctoral student at the California School of Professional Psychology - David Laramie. This exposition laid emphasis on the effects of cell phones on human behavior. According to his study, as much as 67% of the people suffering from the ‘ringxiety’ phenomenon had to pay higher mobile bills and had the tendency of using more minutes and send more SMS, than those who didn’t suffer from the disorder.

 

Basically, ringxiety means a hallucination or a false belief that makes a person hear his/her cell phone ringing, when it is not. In such a situation, the person confuses the sound of the cell phone’s ring tone with some other sound similar to it. This phenomenon is also known by the names ‘Phantom Ring’ and ‘Fauxcellarm’. This is not really a disease, but more of a psychological tuning or a compulsion in a person that leads him/her to re-check whether the phone is ringing. In fact, many others report that they can even feel their mobiles vibrating, when they are not!

 

Many researchers have a theory that seems to be the apt explanation for this phenomenon. They explain this occurrence as arising from being in a constant state of readiness or staying alert all the time. This phenomenon is quiet common in cell phone users. Because of the invention of cell phones, one has become accustomed to receiving calls in the car, while jogging, shopping or doing any other work outside homes. This was not the case when there were no cell phones. The brain now remains alert that the mobile may ring anytime, hence even a slight tone resembling the ring of a cell phone triggers off ringxiety. It is, what is known as, an auditory hallucination.

 

Apart from triggering stress, irritation and mood swings and ringxiety, cell phones have become the root cause of cardio-vascular and neurological complications too. Therefore, it is high time we found some cure for the auditory hallucination, which often makes us frustrated. Given the fact that mobile phone has become an inseparable part of our lifestyle, it would be hard to stay away from ringxiety, unless we decrease the use of the gadget. Sounds tough? Just give a try; you will definitely get rid of the ‘ringing’ sound in your ears!