More cell phone addicts – “smombies” instead of zombies

Zombies are not my favorite species either and now there is a new species called Smombies. The word is actually made up of the word zombie and smartphone. Crazy, isn’t it?

A smombie is fixated on his smartphone, so that this rare species hardly notices anything of his environment. A Smombie looks more often at the screen of his cell phone than into the eyes of his conversation partners. He also likes to walk across a street typing a WhatsApp message or even typing while driving. In short, this species can’t do without a cell phone, it’s unimaginable.

Maybe you’re thinking, what’s this crazy guy writing here, and you’re saying to yourself, “I’ve got that covered.” Are you sure you’ve got that? Your cell phone accompanies you from morning till night. Everywhere with you. It’s like your best friend. It even follows you to the bathroom. That’s kind of scary, isn’t it? SOS Helpless? A smombie can’t get out of the house without his cell phone.

According to surveys, two-thirds of all German smartphone owners no longer leave the house without their cell phone. Whoever can still survive without a smartphone at the breakfast table these days& whoever can leave the house without a cell phone should still consider themselves lucky.

Alone I noticed that less and less board games or known as parlor games are played. I mean, there’s an app for everything these days. Where are the classic Uno rounds with friends or Mensch ärgere dich nicht after a drinking party?

Watch out. 6. symptoms for a transformation to the “Smombie” from Karo

(karolinemohren.de)

1. a strong desire or compulsion to use.
2. decreased ability to control the onset, cessation, or amount of use.
3. A physical withdrawal syndrome upon cessation or reduction of use.
4. evidence of tolerance, in terms of increased doses required to produce the original effect achieved by low doses.
5. progressive neglect of other pleasures or interests in favor of use, and increased time required to use or recover from consequences.
6. continued use despite evidence of clearly harmful consequences.

From the editorial office of Nicolas Maschke: My personal experience. First and foremost, I have to mention that it has already affected me myself. I have been infected with it, so to speak. So far, it has always been really bad when you sit at the kitchen table early in the morning and all you do is look at your cell phone.

Of course I’ve caught it myself, but mostly when the person I’m talking to starts doing it. In such moments you wish for the old times back. Times when we still talked to each other. Oh, that was wonderful. But nothing there, nowadays simply no longer imaginable, because some message on WhatsApp is more important than the person who is just with you.

Psychologically, the cell phone is also not to be judged as positive, as I can say from my own experience. The pressure to be constantly reachable, to receive new messages. Then there is the constant ringing of messages. I don’t think it’s good for your health to be under that kind of pressure all the time.

It’s best to schedule enough quiet time. If possible, activate a screen break, because most phones and apps even offer this.