phone zombie
Screen-absorbed street walker
A phone zombie is someone so absorbed in their smartphone that they walk slowly, obliviously, or dangerously—stumbling into traffic, blocking sidewalks, or drifting into other pedestrians.
The term captures the shuffling, vacant quality of someone whose attention has been consumed by their screen: I nearly collided with a phone zombie on the subway platform.
Duration on digital displays
- smartphone addictionCompulsive mobile device use
- social mediaOnline content-sharing platforms
- notificationsAutomated messages announcing events
- compulsiveUnable to stop oneself
habitual · obsessed · dopamine · FOMO · doomscrolling · binge-watching · phantom vibration · withdrawal
Handheld connected computer
- touchscreenInput-sensitive display panel
- appsMobile software, briefly
- earbudsTiny insertable audio devices
- mobile devicePortable personal electronics
screen glow · blue light · wireless · connectivity · streaming · gaming · push notifications · infinite scroll
Marked street-crossing zone
- sidewalkPaved pedestrian pathway
- jaywalkingIllegal pedestrian crossing
- intersectionPoint where paths meet
- trafficMovement along routes
collision · near-miss · obstructing · pavement · stumbling · tripping · walkway · crowd
Moving display content vertically
- textingSending typed mobile messages
- distractedUnable to concentrate
- obliviousLacking any awareness
- engrossedWholly absorbed in something
inattentive · preoccupied · unaware · absorbed · heedless · unmindful · detached · tuned out
View of urban architecture
- downtownCentral business district
- metroUrban rail transit
- commutersDaily work travelers
- crowdsAssembled multitudes
public transit · subway · bus stop · train platform · rush hour · congestion · street corners · plaza
screen time
Duration on digital displays
- smartphone addictionCompulsive mobile device use
- social mediaOnline content-sharing platforms
- notificationsAutomated messages announcing events
compulsive · habitual · obsessed · dopamine · FOMO · doomscrolling · binge-watching · phantom vibration · withdrawal · tech addiction
smartphone
Handheld connected computer
- touchscreenInput-sensitive display panel
- appsMobile software, briefly
- earbudsTiny insertable audio devices
mobile device · screen glow · blue light · wireless · connectivity · streaming · gaming · push notifications · infinite scroll · algorithm
crosswalk
Marked street-crossing zone
- sidewalkPaved pedestrian pathway
- jaywalkingIllegal pedestrian crossing
- intersectionPoint where paths meet
traffic · collision · near-miss · obstructing · pavement · stumbling · tripping · walkway · crowd · commute
scrolling
Moving display content vertically
- textingSending typed mobile messages
- distractedUnable to concentrate
- obliviousLacking any awareness
engrossed · inattentive · preoccupied · unaware · absorbed · heedless · unmindful · detached · tuned out · zoned out
cityscape
View of urban architecture
crowds · public transit · subway · bus stop · train platform · rush hour · congestion · street corners · plaza · escalator