Frightening New Terminology
Maybe my new term will stick. New words are popping into our vocabulary all the time to describe our interactions with technology. Nomophobia (no-mobile phobia), for example, is defined as the fear of not having your smartphone on you. Some argue it’s a type of an anxiety disorder, and, for some people, I guess it is must be a very real fear.
Thumb zombies are on the rise. Smartphone overuse is becoming so rampant there are smartphone addiction centers popping up all over the world. In Germany, people’s smartphone habits have become so dangerous a company has put lights in the ground to minimize pedestrian-involved traffic accidents; and, in China, city authorities are experimenting with sidewalk lanes for cell phone users.
There’s also a new word that describes when couples hang out together but ignore each other, focusing instead smartphone surfing: phubbing.
Phubbing
the practice of ignoring one’s companion or companions in order to pay attention to one’s phone or other mobile device. (See phubbing in appendix for more info. I cannot believe there is an anti-phubbing movement and it’s pretty thorough.)
1 For information on what you can do to raise awareness of and stop phubbing, see Twisted Topics #4.
Distraction Technologies
a term given to the devices of today that may be guilty of stealing our attention spans. Examples include, but are not limited to: smartphones, tablets, iPads, mobile devices, etc.
Digital Dementia
a phrase first used by German neuroscientist named Manfred Spitzer in his book of the same name. He defines it as the overuse of technology resulting in a reduction of our cognitive abilities that is seen in patients with head and brain trauma or psychiatric illness.
Hello Facebook world, I’m looking for some fun interaction here.
What are some names, phrases, and/or terms that have been created in the last ten years since the advent of smartphones and social media?
Here are some examples; tweeting, updating your status, Facebooking, sexting, phubbing, nomophobia, etc. (comment below) I’m working on a chapter in my upcoming book and would love some input, especially from social media.
Have fun and thank you!!
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