Ringxiety
Encyclopedia
Phantom rings are the sensation and false belief that one can hear one's mobile phone
ringing or feel it vibrating
, when in fact the telephone is not doing so.
Other terms for this concept include ringxiety and fauxcellarm. Ringxiety is a portmanteau neologism formed from the words "ringtone" and "anxiety."
Phantom rings may be experienced while taking a shower, watching television, or using a noisy device. Humans are particularly sensitive to auditory tones between 1,000 and 6,000 hertz
, and basic mobile phone ringers often fall within this range. This frequency range can generally be more difficult to locate spatially, thus allowing for potential confusion when heard from a distance. False vibrations are less well understood, however, and could have psychological
or neurological
sources.
Some doorbell
s or telephone
ring sounds are modeled after pleasant sounds from nature
. This backfires when such devices are used in rural areas containing the original sounds—the owner is faced with the constant task of determining if it is the device or the actual sound.
A fictional example of this is portrayed in the 1971 movie The Omega Man
at ~8m:20s where Robert Neville (played by Charlton Heston
) -- obviously entirely alone in a large city for several years -- hears all the phones around him ring at once, but then reminds himself that "... There is no phone ringing, dammit!" at ~8m:55s as he cowers exhibiting something between shame and anger.
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
ringing or feel it vibrating
Vibrating alert
A vibrating alert is a feature of communications devices to notify the user of an incoming connection. It is particularly common on mobile phones and pagers and usually supplements the ring tone....
, when in fact the telephone is not doing so.
Other terms for this concept include ringxiety and fauxcellarm. Ringxiety is a portmanteau neologism formed from the words "ringtone" and "anxiety."
Phantom rings may be experienced while taking a shower, watching television, or using a noisy device. Humans are particularly sensitive to auditory tones between 1,000 and 6,000 hertz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
, and basic mobile phone ringers often fall within this range. This frequency range can generally be more difficult to locate spatially, thus allowing for potential confusion when heard from a distance. False vibrations are less well understood, however, and could have psychological
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
or neurological
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
sources.
Devices
In addition to cellular phones, other attention grabbing devices such as sirens, horns or crying babies in a commercial message have been generically labeled as "phantom ringing". The phantom phone, or phantom ring psychologically, could be compared to something such as the "naked" feeling you may experience without a pair of prescription glasses, or a necklace you constantly wear. The sensation of tangibility may still exist on a day you choose not to wear them, or forget them at home.Some doorbell
Doorbell
A doorbell is a signaling device typically placed near a door. Most doorbells emit a ringing sound to alert the occupant of the building to a visitor's presence, when the visitor presses a button. Many modern doorbells are electric — they are actuated by an electric switch...
s or telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
ring sounds are modeled after pleasant sounds from nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
. This backfires when such devices are used in rural areas containing the original sounds—the owner is faced with the constant task of determining if it is the device or the actual sound.
Psychosomatic manifestations
An intense "need" for contact, such as experienced during involuntary extended isolation may produce a similar effect although not explicitly named as such.A fictional example of this is portrayed in the 1971 movie The Omega Man
The Omega Man
The Omega Man is a 1971 American science fiction film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Charlton Heston. It is based on the novel I Am Legend by American writer Richard Matheson...
at ~8m:20s where Robert Neville (played by Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
) -- obviously entirely alone in a large city for several years -- hears all the phones around him ring at once, but then reminds himself that "... There is no phone ringing, dammit!" at ~8m:55s as he cowers exhibiting something between shame and anger.