phone zombies
Oblivious scrolling walkers
Phone zombies are people so absorbed in their smartphones that they walk slowly, obliviously, or dangerously—shuffling through crowds, blocking sidewalks, or stepping into traffic without looking up.
The term captures their glazed, undead-like movement: I nearly ran over a phone zombie crossing against the light.
Also called smartphone zombies or smombies.
Handheld touchscreen computers
- notificationsAutomated messages announcing events
- social mediaOnline content-sharing platforms
- textingSending typed mobile messages
- mobile gamesSoftware entertainment for smartphones
apps · screens · earbuds · streaming · infinite scroll · autoplay · feeds · likes
Unable to concentrate
- obliviousLacking any awareness
- engrossedWholly absorbed in something
- scrollingMoving display content vertically
- shufflingRandomizing order of items
slow-walking · tuned-out · unaware · absorbed · fixated · glazed · mindless · autopilot
Separated from a source
- antisocialAverse to socializing
- isolationComplete separation from others
- ignoringDeliberately not noticing
- phubbingIgnoring companions for device
gathering · family dinner · date night · waiting rooms · queue · public spaces
People traveling on foot
- crosswalksMarked street-crossing zones
- sidewalksPaved pedestrian pathways
- collisionsForceful contacts between objects
- commutersDaily work travelers
subway · bus stops · crowded streets · escalators · intersections · foot traffic · stairways · doorways
Compulsive substance reliance
- screen timeDuration on digital displays
- dopamineReward-linked neural messenger
- attention spanConcentration time limit
- overstimulationExcessive sensory input
mindlessness · compulsive · habitual · epidemic · generation · detox · unplugging · awareness campaigns
smartphones
Handheld touchscreen computers
- notificationsAutomated messages announcing events
- social mediaOnline content-sharing platforms
- textingSending typed mobile messages
mobile games · apps · screens · earbuds · streaming · infinite scroll · autoplay · feeds · likes · comments
distracted
Unable to concentrate
- obliviousLacking any awareness
- engrossedWholly absorbed in something
- scrollingMoving display content vertically
shuffling · slow-walking · tuned-out · unaware · absorbed · fixated · glazed · mindless · autopilot · entranced
disconnected
Separated from a source
- antisocialAverse to socializing
- isolationComplete separation from others
- ignoringDeliberately not noticing
phubbing · gathering · family dinner · date night · waiting rooms · queue · public spaces
pedestrians
People traveling on foot
- crosswalksMarked street-crossing zones
- sidewalksPaved pedestrian pathways
- collisionsForceful contacts between objects
commuters · subway · bus stops · crowded streets · escalators · intersections · foot traffic · stairways · doorways · lobbies
addiction
Compulsive substance reliance
- screen timeDuration on digital displays
- dopamineReward-linked neural messenger
- attention spanConcentration time limit
overstimulation · mindlessness · compulsive · habitual · epidemic · generation · detox · unplugging · awareness campaigns
- phone artemoji art, app icons, screen glow
phone zombiessocial butterflies
Highly outgoing, sociable people
phone, zombie, phones, phoned, phoning, telephone, telephony, telephonic, microphone