If you're mobile stuck, you could be 'Ringxiety' struck

PHANTOM CALLING: The more frequently a person uses a cell phone, the more frequent the likelihood they hear the phantom ring

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Keywords: mobiles, ringing

New Delhi: If you have a persistent feeling that your mobile phone is ringing or vibrating even when it is not, chances are high that you might be suffering from a condition called 'Ringxiety.'

Considered more to be a psychological disease rather than a physical one, experts say the condition, in which those affected feel a compelling urge to keep frisking pockets and recheck their phones because they feel that their phones are ringing or vibrating, is becoming more prevalent.

A study by scientists at the Los Angeles-based University has proved that excessive use of mobile phones causes 'Ringxiety,' popularly known as 'Phantom Ringing.'

Though there is no sample study on the incidence of 'Ringxiety' in India, doctors say given the large chunk of people visiting psychiatrists with such kind of problem at least 25 per cent of all mobile phone users may be those who can hear 'virtual' rings 'Ringxiety' a disease is all out of one's thought and imagination.

The more frequently a person uses a cell phone, the more frequent the likelihood they hear the phantom ring, says the study. Majority of mobile users are reportedly patients of cardio-vasculgical disorders as well, the research concludes.

The study undertaken by Alliant International University involved participants in the age group from 18 to 26, all of whom were heavy mobile users, spending a considerable chunk of time talking or sending text messages.

The result showed that 67 per cent of people suffered from this phenomenon and Japan tops the most affected list. The study also discovered that users who rely on text messaging to be in touch with their friends and loved ones faced a higher level of loneliness and social anxiety.