Most people these days can’t bear to turn off their cell phones. Despite the cell phone free signs and verbal announcements a never-ending variety of ring tones are sounding in shopping centers, schools, libraries, rest rooms, trains, at the movies and even at funeral services.Brenda Goodman, in a New York Times article, says there’s a new epidemic afflicting humans today. It is called ‘ringanxiety’ or ‘fauxcellarm’.
We might be taking a shower, blow-drying our hair or watching an ad on television and we think our cell phone is ringing. These phantom phone rings are an audio illusion and they’re a symptom of the saturation of the air waves.
With cell phones becoming like an extra limb sprouting from our ears, most people are in a constant state of telephone vigilance.
Our ears become attuned to certain sounds like the crying of a baby and the ringing of a phone.
The vital thing is that we practice the discipline of silencing the familiar sounds and conditioning our ears to listen to the still, small voice of God.
Geoff Pound
Source: Brenda Goodman, ‘I Hear Ringing and There’s No One There. I Wonder Why’, New York Times, 4 May 2006.
Web site address:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/04/fashion/thursdaystyles/04phan.html?ex=1147406400&en=6d2ed8a8b702517e&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Image: Cell Phone Free Zone