If there is one thing we don’t need here in the U.S. it’s another disease. Just when I thought we were maybe putting Covid on the back burner so to speak, another new debilitating disease has risen among us. It’s called Nomophobia.
According to an article I read in the USA Today, Nomophobia (short for No-Mobile-Phone-Phobia), is a new word for the anxiety caused by not having a working mobile phone on your personhood. It reported that people are developing a psychosis or something similar and a whole bunch of brainy-headed people are trying to find a cure. (I can think of one obvious cure, but I digress.)
Apparently, the overuse of phones among students is causing a drop in GPA averages, along with increased anxiety over whether or not they are in constant contact with about ½ of the population of the free world at any time.
And as I wander around this planet or at least these United States, I am noticing more and more people using and misusing their cell phone. The following are just a few examples.
On the way to the shower the other day at one of our Whisper Creek Florida comfort stations, I walked by a toilet stall in which a guy was apparently sitting down doing his business – while happily chatting away on the phone. I had to chuckle to myself ~ I wonder if the person on the other end of that call had any idea about what was taking place. Talk about having two different “conversations” going at once!
And sometimes the new technology can meet with the old technology in some pretty violent ways. I actually saw a guy walking down the sidewalk the other day intently texting. Sure enough, he walked right into a telephone pole. Life can bite you in the badookie sometimes.
It all makes me wonder how many people have fallen to their death trying to take a selfie of themselves with the Grand Canyon in the background, or maybe backing up to the gorilla cage with their cell phone in hand.
I had a simple procedure done the other day at a walk-in, hobble-out clinic ~ I think they call it day surgery. Anyway, I swear this is true. The nurse who pushed me down the hallway had her cell phone in her hand, happily tapping away. I think I would have drawn a line in the sand had the doctor done the same.
If you want to see something amazing some day, watch a younger person tap out a message on their phone using only their thumbs. I am sure they are faster than many traditional typists on traditional keyboards. I’ll bet someday they will consider a Thumb Typing Competition of some kind at the next Olympics.
My wife and I tend to travel a bit and spend a lot of time on our nation’s wonderful freeway system. Cruising along at 65 mph the other day, I had a young lady pass me in the fast lane doing at least 80 and, you guessed it, she was texting away.
LIfe can be so funny at times. The other day at a fancy restaurant I saw a family of four seated at a table, and they were all texting on their phones. I wonder if any of them were texting the other?
Sometimes when we have people over for dinner or cards, someone at the table will be (impolitely) texting to someone. I always question in the back of my mind if the texter would rather be with that person as opposed to me? And if they went to see that person, would they be texting me?
Psychologists tell us that this Nomophobia shares many characteristics with drug addiction. Apparently, the immediate connection of mobile phones to the Internet is one of the causes of an uptick in this condition. They are telling us that the symptoms may be the result of a need for comfort due to factors such as increased anxiety, poor self-esteem, insecure attachment, or emotional instability. Youzer! And I thought a hangnail was bad!
A couple of friends of mine came up with a cure of sorts. Whenever they have people over, there is a big basket just inside the front door with a sign that says. Please place your phone here. It usually only takes 5 to 10 minutes until people’s hands start shaking, sweat appears and they start pleading for the fix that is their phones.
Along with Nomophobia, there may just be a few more phobias on the horizon, too. For instance, I suspect that Arrraphobia is fear of pirates and Doggiedookiephobia is fear of your dog doing his business and you not having a plastic bag handy. Finally, Humoraphobia is one that could really get to me personally ~ my fear that someone will not find this column funny.
MEET THE AUTHOR ✍️
Fellow Whisper Creeker Greg Stangl comes to us from the great state of Wisconsin. He and his wife Colleen spend summers on Lake Wisconsin and enjoy the leisurely winter months here in our little paradise together with their beautiful Springer Spaniels Isabella Rosalini and Sophia Loren.
Greg is a professional photographer, speaker and writer who not only owned a photography studio for 40 years, but also taught college courses and lectured on the subject in 35 states and 7 countries.
Greg’s other passion is writing. He has published works in 10 national magazines and also authored workbooks employed in photography and marketing. Whisper Creeker News is both honored and excited for Greg to share his creative writing talents with us as well!
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