ADVERTISEMENT
Have you ever had the strange feeling that your smartphone starts vibrating in your pocket, even though you haven’t received any messages or notifications? This is where you say to yourself, “But I wasn’t dreaming, my phone just vibrated! “. I’m not so sure… Yes, it’s quite disconcerting. That said, rest assured, you’re not alone! An American study revealed that 90% of users suffer from “phantom vibration syndrome”. But still? What is this barbaric expression? And above all, should we worry about it? Lighting.
“ Phantom vibration syndrome ” : what exactly is it?
You’re chatting quietly with friends and suddenly you feel your Android or iOS phone start to vibrate, in your bag or trouser pocket. Nothing more banal: you immediately check your mobile phone screen. And there, surprise, there is nothing to report. No calls, no messages and not even any notifications from any application like WhatsApp . However, you were convinced you felt a vibration in your leg. Anxiety attacks you: are you going crazy? Don’t panic, madness doesn’t await you, there is a tangible explanation behind this phenomenon.
According to the La Tercera portal, this sensation has even been baptized by the scientific community as the ” phantom vibration syndrome “. Put like that, it’s not very reassuring, in your opinion. And the surprises don’t end: a recent study conducted by the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) states that most cell phone users experience these similar effects. According to one of the authors, Dr. Robert Rosenberger, who mainly studies the impact of technology on our behavior, it has become very common to have the illusion that your cell phone is vibrating for no apparent reason. He gives a final example: If you are used to glasses and they are part of your daily life, you almost forget you are wearing them. With the phone in your pocket, it’s somewhat similar. With learned body habits, this device becomes part of your body. The mind then automatically gets used to perceiving the vibrations of an incoming call or SMS. People perceive other sensations, such as the movement of clothes or muscle spasms, such as vibrations coming from the cell phone, but this is just a hallucination ,” he said. Yes, you read that right, these vibrations don’t actually exist!
Continued on next page
ADVERTISEMENT
