Ever felt your phone buzz in your pocket, then pulledit out to find no text, no call, no notification? You might be experiencing‘phantom vibration syndrome’–and you’re not alone. According to one study, 9 out of 10 undergraduates said they had experienced the phenomenon in the last week or month.
Scientists aren’t exactly sure why these tactile hallucinations happen to so many of us. One leading theory is that our excessive smartphone use, and our creeping sense that we should be constantly available, have conditioned our brains to overinterpret sensations such as clothing moving against our skin. On the plus side, most people don’t find the phantom signals bothersome.
Read more:
- I can’t stop checking my phone. What can I do to lessen its grip on me?
- Are hackers monitoring me through my phone?
- Is there any point turning my phone to ‘flight mode’ on a plane?
- How does a smartphone ‘read’ my fingerprint?
Asked by: Andy Mann, Birmingham
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