He Climbed Mount Fuji Twice in Four Days to Find His Phone
nomophobia: the fear or worry of being without your mobile phone
Most people only climb Mount Fuji once. This man did it twice in one week and both times he had to be rescued.
The first time, the 27-year-old climber got altitude sickness and had to be helped down. That should have been the end of the story.
But four days later, he tried again, because he had lost his phone and wanted to find it. Perhaps this young man was suffering from nomophobia, which is the fear of being without a phone. This time, he collapsed on the trail and needed help once more. He was carried down on a stretcher in freezing temperatures and strong wind. He survived again thanks to the heroic rescue team, but it’s unclear if he was able to rescue his phone.
Many people were angry that he was wasting the time of rescue workers all because he had lost his phone. One famous mountain climber said, “His mentality is beyond salvation. It’s just too foolish.”
Origin
The word nomophobia is a mixture of the words “NO MObile PHone phoBIA.” It was first used in a UK study in 2008.
Sample sentences
Tom brought his phone camping even though there was no signal. He said it helped with his nomophobia.
During dinner, Sarah kept reaching for her phone, even though she didn’t need it. Her friends joked about her nomophobia.
A new app is helping people who suffer from nomophobia by teaching them how to take breaks from their phones.
Read More:
Man’s second-time rescue from Japan’s Mount Fuji after bid to retrieve phone sparks anger
