High ringxiety
The idea of ringxiety—those phantom cellphone rings and vibrations that you sometimes think you hear or feel, even when you’ve left your phone at home—has been around for a couple of years, with various theories floated about the phenomenon’s root cause. ?I think the phantom ring can all be tied into your love life or lack thereof,? one sufferer opined a couple of years ago. The latest explanation, however, is downright creepy. In an NPR segment earlier this week, one expert mentioned the oft-repeated idea that users think of cellphones as phantom limbs as an actual cause for the condition, suggesting that the brain can actually become convinced that a cellphone—especially one carried regularly in the same location— is a physical limb. The solution: move the phone to another spot before your brain gets confused. And change your ringtone regularly to avoid having it hard-wired into your consciousness as a comforting sound. Personally, I’d prefer to just leave the phone at home, but since I can’t do that, maybe I’ll try to find the most annoying ringtone I can, and stash the phone in a bag. Then again, if I’ve already reached the phantom limb stage, that won’t help much. And, besides—oops, gotta run. My leg is vibrating.
