Technology never ceases to amaze us. Every year, there are endless lists of new mobile phones, computers and tablets, each more modern than the other, the same goes for programs for them, which continue to offer us benefits in communicating with others. those who are far away take us away from those who are close. Phubbing’s here to stay.
The emergence of the first mobile phones was a real revolution. Everyone commented on how easy it was to talk to people who lived hundreds or thousands of miles away. The ability to bring this wonderful element everywhere has led to the creation of smaller and lighter models.
- What had first emerged as a novelty gradually became an addiction called Phubbing.
- People queued for hours in stores to buy the latest model; among teens living alone to please others on social media and in an alarming onset of new associated disorders.
The word Phubbing appeared in Australia a few years ago with the union of the terms phone and snobism, can be defined as ignoring or denigrating a person or environment to focus on any other type of mobile technology.
The dependence produced by some of these elements makes the individual abstract of physical reality and pays more attention to the virtual. Today it is a very common thing that affects much of the population, generating a real controversy.
Extreme advocates of new technologies argue that phubbing is simply collateral damage; they believe that this is the price to pay for being connected to the world at low cost and in real time; the critics, on the other hand, are quite critical on the subject. that society, especially the youngest, can see their lives conditioned by this obsession.
The controversy is not only due to tendinitis, vision problems or pain in the back, neck and head, there are more and more accidents and pedestrian accidents caused by the lack of attention to the road, the obsession to gain approval and popularity in social networks it also causes physical, psychological and social problems. In addition, paying more attention to the mobile phone than to our partners, friends or family is disrespectful and can lead to serious confrontations.
“The real problem is not whether machines think, but whether men do it” – B. F. Skinner-
There are several pathologies related to new technologies. While Phubbing is one of the best known, there are others that are more serious and unusual, they can usually be treated with the help of specialists, but it is the person who needs to realize that they have a problem.
It is the need to be constantly connected for fear of losing something. The obsession to continuously enter WhatsApp or social networks becomes a disease. The individual doesn’t even wait for the notifications, he continually updates the search engine.
These are people who can’t leave home without their mobile phone, even refusing to go to other homes or hotels if they don’t have Wi-Fi.
Nomophobia is the extreme panic felt by the absence of the mobile phone, which usually occurs when the device does not work or has been stolen, people suffer anxiety and terrorist attacks, which is much of their perception.
Like those suffering from FOMO, your main concern is to lose something while your mobile phone is missing. Often, the money to repair it or buy a new one even goes to a secondary plan.
Cyberchondria is one of the most common pathologies. The Internet is an excellent source of information, but it should be noted that you are not a doctor, many people prefer to look for their symptoms on the Internet and end up diagnosing diseases they do not have.
The belief that any forum or portal is reliable makes them very hypochondriac, they think they can have any disease, which is dangerous if they decide to self-medicate.
Also known as phantom vibration, people who suffer from it hear calls that do not exist due to their extreme obsession with mobile phones, even without turning on the screen, the individual declares for sure that he hears the sound.
This is one of the lesser known but most significant long-term effects. The brain is so used to seeing information on the Internet that it stops assimilating what it discovers in a normal way. In the long run, this can result in an inability to retain information, which would negatively affect our memory.
New technologies can help us in many ways, but they can also cause us problems, if we pay more attention to what happens on screen than to what happens in real life, the consequences can be disastrous, interacting with others and thinking about our health is much more important priorities than the Internet, and that’s something we need to consider.