Mobile phones in vibratory mode: a weird observation
By Pitstop
@pitstop (13794)
Australia
March 5, 2008 6:47am CST
I know a lot of people (including me) keep the vibration alert mode on as it helps know of incoming calls when we are in noisy places. I've noticed that many times I tend to think my phone vibrated and pick it up only to see I was wrong. I also noticed that many of my friends said the same thing. I always see people pick up the phone and look at it and keep it up - even more if their phone is on the vibration mode. Is this feeling psychological or why do we perceive these apparent vibrations??! Do you think you feel the vibration even when there are none!!
1 person likes this
10 responses
@mrarkangel (72)
• Canada
5 Mar 08
This is really becoming a rather common problem nowadays and I understand as well. There have been times I thought my phone vibrated in my pocket only to reach in and find that it is not in my pocket. I am personally one of those people who do not take it off the vibration mode because I don't like most the loud obnoxious ringtones so this happens to me fairly often I would sas two to three times per week that I think that my phone has gone of when it has not.
ps please forgive the kinda ramblish part there I just woke up!
thank you
@piesmeralda (388)
• Philippines
6 Mar 08
Yes, I have experienced that too. Even while I'm backriding my husband's motorcycle, I felt his phone in his pocket vibrated, but when we check it out, there wasn't.
Sometimes, I put my phone under my pillow so that I would know if somebody's calling me while I'm taking a nap. I will just woke up to feel a vibration which isn't actually happening.
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@piesmeralda (388)
• Philippines
6 Mar 08
I was backriding my husband's motorcycle. His phone is in his pocket, and of course we are so close, I have my hands holding his side or are lying on his lap. I can feel something vibrates where my hand is, actually on top of his cellphone inside his pocket.
Don't you just sit close behind the rider of the bike when you are backriding? :)
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@jimbomuso (950)
•
5 Mar 08
I've noticed in a different way ! I get phantom vibrations in my leg and I think its my phone, reach for my pocket and it isn't in there!!! Has anyone felt this effect? sometimes I think the phones vibrating when theres loads of music/background noise.My phone has given me a physcological condition!!!LOL
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@chris1314 (784)
•
6 Mar 08
I think that it is a psychological thing, I am forever pulling my phone out of my pocket thinking i have a text or a missed call, and 99% of the time i am wrong, I think that when you have a phone for that long you start to think you have stuff coming through, but infact you dont! lol
Chris
@Swaana (1205)
• India
5 Mar 08
Probably yes, it could be psychological. The main reason is when you have set it in silent mode and have activated the vibration, in your subconsious mind you have the thoght that you are missing things that could be important. You dont want to miss important calls or important messages. So you keep checking up your phone constantly.
That is why I dont put my phone to vibrating mode. I just have a very general ringtone with a very low noise and keep it inside my bag or if I attend a meeting I just switch off the phone.
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@reejane (293)
• Philippines
6 Mar 08
You are so right! I always think that my mobile phone is vibrating only to realize that it's not once I picked it up.
I'm not really sure on what could be the logical explanation here but I'm sure glad to know that I'm not the only one whose experiencing this =D
@katisaurus (1038)
• Canada
6 Mar 08
I know the feeling. I'm the same way. My phone'll be in my back pocket and I'll feel it "vibrate" but when I take it out and look at it, there's no call or message. I think it's because i've had my phone for so long and it's ALWAYS on vibrate so I got so used to the feeling, so now when I have my phone in my pocket I feel like it's vibrating but it usually isn't. lol
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@subha12 (18441)
• India
6 Mar 08
i generally do not keep mobiles in vibrating modes. i don't know why. i feel disturbed by it. when needed i keep in silent mode. i think the case you have described may be psychological case. as it is kept in that mode , you always feel so,
@coolneo28 (6)
• India
6 Mar 08
Yes it is true.When we use cellphones for a long time we get habituated.Thus sometimes it feels like phone has vibrated when it hasn't.This is similar to phantom limb sndrome
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@jemuelfernandez (53)
• Philippines
13 Mar 08
that's definitely psychological. i've experienced that too occasionally, especially if i'n expecting call or SMS. i've seen an article about that months ago, but can't seem to remember where.
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