Reading the MSNBC article titled Phantom vibrations give device junkies a buzz made me laugh-at myself.

I'm sure you know what I mean when I share my own experience with phantom vibrations or ring tones. Many times I've pulled my smartphone out of my pocket, thinking that someone called or texted me, or did the same in meetings when I thought that my gadget was vibrating.

Could it be that, on some unconscious level, we wish to use our smartphone or PDA a lot, especially when we've paid lots of money for it? That every time we pull it out, we expect our pocket gadget to earn its own keep in some way? Personally, my phantom experiences are caused by the fact that I use my gadgets so much, so much so that they've become a part of me.

I do know an easy way to lessen this phenomenon: when seated, I take out my phone and put it in front of me. That way, I can see if there really is a call or text coming in.