smombie meaning
What does Smombie mean?
Reading time 4 minutes
- Where does the word smombie come from and what does it mean?
- 3 everyday examples
- Digital Detox as a countertrend?
Smombie meaning and the origin of the word
The neologism „smombie“ is already known by many people. The combination of the words „smartphone“ and „zombie“ has shaped the new digital generation. A smombie constantly uses his cell phone and therefore finds it difficult to perceive his environment. This obsessive constant checking of the cell phone has already won it the Youth Word of the Year award in Germany. The word „smombie“ became known in 2010, when it was used for the first time by Langenscheidt (a publishing house). This is where the first definition of smombie meaning comes from.
3 daily supervisions explain the smombie meaning
The simple self-review, can sometimes be demotivating. An article from WELT online has listed a fitting example in this regard at concerts. People love to see the musician live, but the disturbances caused by smartphones are increasing rapidly. Glowing screens and constant profiling with selfies have permanently changed the experience. Sharing an experience via social media channels finds many people conflicted, as the real thing, the music, is increasingly fading into the background. A classic dichotomy of our digital generation. The first entertainers have already created a counter-trend, such as U.S. rapper Macklemore, who increasingly asks his fans to put their cell phones aside to fully enjoy the show.
The second example comes from mass transit. The constant willingness to be available and the increasing social pressure can limit people in their actions. In earlier years, people still enjoyed reading a newspaper or a book during a train ride or on a flight, but now they send messages, check Instagram and play magically attractive mobile games. The perception of the environment and an interpersonal communication exchange suffers massively as a result. Short conversations and social exchange will therefore become an increasingly important skill in the future.
We have taken the third example from the sports sector. Some time ago, sport was still part of our survival, but nowadays it’s more of a status symbol. From hunter to poser and thus from survival to showing off. The digital world entertains us during our sports sessions with music, podcasts, news, etc., and Instagram, YouTube and the like further fuel these trends. Overall, the number of gyms has increased, as has the number of photos shared on social media. – This trend was further reinforced by Corona. The problem behind this is the compulsion to constantly compare ourselves to one another. Beauty ideals are pursued that are neither healthy for the body nor the mind. It has even come to the point that vogue has already pointed out this problem. This constant form of seeking confirmation can have health consequences:
- Anorexia
- False external perception
- Self-insulation
- Signs of addiction
- Negative thought
To name just a few of the many problems.
Digital Detox Fun Fact:
The first ever smartphone street was introduced in Asia
https://youtu.be/d_mb9VJmFhU
Digital Detox as a countertrend?
What are you ashamed of nowadays, what you did yourself in the past? Ask this question in your circle of acquaintances and some will argue with fashionable missteps, others will perhaps point to the first love faux pas … During the research of this article we came across a hint, which was given by Felix Lohbrecht (German comedian and podcaster) was made to say: „Today’s young people will be ashamed in the future of what they’ve put on the Internet.“ Perhaps for this reason, and perhaps because of it, additional attention to the importance of Digital Detox can’t hurt. In this context, it’s worth mentioning again, a society will no longer be able to do without digital technology, but individual use can be learned and controlled. Perhaps it will also simply help people to communicate with each other again or that a healthy awareness is strengthened again. It is therefore never a ban, but an effective use of time.
References
- Kim D, Han K, Sim JS, Noh Y (2018) Smombie Guardian: We watch for potential obstacles while you are walking and conducting smartphone activities. PLoS ONE 13(6): e0197050. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0197050
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Sunhee Parka; Beomsoo Kimb (2021): Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
Volume 82, October 2021, Pages 440-449 - Ahn, I.-S.; Bae, M.-J.; Bae, S.-G. (2018): A study on the accident warning sound system of the smombie driver Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, v.13, no.21, pp.9184 – 9188