Frequent Mobile Phone Users experience Phantom ringing and suffer from Ringxiety

Sometimes you think you hear your mobile phone ringing, but on checking it you release that you were just imagining it. Well, here is some assurance that you are NOT turning insane. A study conducted in the US has reported that this phenomenon is known as ‘ringxiety’.

This study was conducted by David Laramie from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles.

The study that involved participants who were aged from 18-26 years found that two thirds of the people surveyed reported hearing their phone ring or feeling it vibrate when it had not actually rung.

The study also found that the more frequently a person used their phone, the more often they reported hearing a ‘phantom ring’ so to speak.

Also, it was found that 67% of the people suffering from the ‘ringxiety’ phenomenon had higher monthly charges, tended to use more minutes and sent more text messages. They were even found to show higher levels of impulsive behavior.

Dr Jitender Nagpal, senior psychiatrist at VIMHANS, was quoted in the Times of India as saying that he feels the time has come to seriously introspect on the utility of the mobile phone. Its overuse, he said, is leading to a loss of real time communication of users with their family and self.


“Frequent mobile users are always anxious. They are on tenterhooks, waiting for the phone to ring, trying to reduce the wait and response period. This also leads to frequent mood changes, irritability, and stress. Altered behaviour is common in such cases,” he said.

Interestingly, the study also found that some people rely on their mobile phone to regulate moods and maintain social connectedness. And, those people who prefer to use their phones for text messaging, rather than talking, display higher levels of loneliness and social anxiety.


Dr. Jitendra Nagpal also added that the use of mobile phones for long durations by all generations has become a serious health concern with respect to cardio-vascular and neurological complications.


SOURCE:techshout.com