Addicted Smartphone Users Constantly Expecting New Notifications are Haunted by Phantom Vibrations

Do you believe in ghosts?

Users have become so attached to their smartphones than many now hear "phantom vibrations," where they believe they got a notification buzz but in fact are just hearing things (read: going clinically insane). These results of this University of Worcester research are nothing new—"phantom rings" have been around since the earliest cellphones. But the researchers also concluded that these hauntings cause tangible stress in the users, a topic which hasn't previously been studied.

The study revealed that work-related smartphone notifications trigger spikes in stress, which over time develop into phantom vibrations—also known as "ringxiety" and "fauxcellarm"—which, in turn, amplify the stress. This creates a dangerous cycle.

But there may be a glimmer of hope for those haunted by smartphone ghosts. In Brazil, workers handling emails after their regular shifts can now qualify it as overtime work by law.