More Phobias For The 21st Century Quiz

Answer: Fear of being without a smartphone

A recent study from Italy defines nomophobia's characteristics as feeling "anxious or nervous" at the thought of losing your smartphone, or worrying about losing network coverage or battery power. We've all felt annoyance upon realizing we've left our phone at home but true nomophobes may exhibit classic anxiety symptoms such as rapid breathing, or heavy perspiration.

Answer: Fear of joining the slowest moving queue

Agmenophobia appears to be a combination of macrophobia - the fear of long waits and decidophobia - the irrational fear of making decisions which can actually cause panic attacks. Businesses which ask customers to form one line and use the next available checkout or to take a numbered ticket should help anyone who is a true sufferer of agmenophobia.

Answer: Fear of climate change

Also known as eco-distress, eco-anxiety was defined by The American Psychology Association as "the chronic fear of environmental cataclysm". Extensive studies have been done on ecological anxiety since about 2007, and various definitions remain in use. A related fear, solastalgia, is emotional distress caused by eco damage which has already happened.

Answer: Fear of developing wrinkles

Few of us welcome the signs of aging but rhytiphobia is a morbid fear of wrinkles. Someone experiencing this condition may exhibit extreme anxiety at the mere thought of having wrinkles or showing any sign of age. Sufferers may go to painstaking efforts to preserve their youth, purchasing huge amounts of beauty products. Rhytiphobiacs may undergo excessive surgeries or skin procedures such as Botox in an attempt to minimize the appearance of wrinkles on their face. People with this phobia will typically be concerned about signs of aging on the face more than on other areas of the body,

Answer: Fear of long words

At first glance, hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia might seem to be a fictional phobia but that is not the case and "long words phobia" is actually very real and does exist. In extreme cases, sufferers may completely cease reading for fear of facing long words. Physical symptoms include shaking, crying, running away, trembling, nausea, headaches, rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing. TBH, this phobia might be less common as the "texting generation" progresses. That's just IMHO. If you agree, LMK.

Answer: Fear of needles

In the past, this extremely common fear has affected ten percent or more of the population. In the age of Covid, failure of these sufferers to be vaccinated is problematic. The condition is marked by irrational, extreme fear or aversion to blood and/or needles. Children are especially susceptible because they're unused to the sensation of their skin being poked by something sharp.

By the time most people reach adulthood, they can tolerate needles more easily. Trypanophobia was not recognized as a specific phobia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) until 1994.

Answer: Fear of politicians

Sufferers may fear going to a polling location and casting a vote - a type of decidophobia - the irrational fear of making decisions. Others are afraid of the responsibility of choosing elected officials. In 2018 74% of Americans reported being afraid of the actions, incompetence or corruption of government officials although not all these people suffer a phobia.

This research from Chapman University encompasses all political persuasions. Fear of government and government officials ranked high - above terrorism, poverty, and the death of a family member. Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition ranked higher than financial collapse, theft, and serious illness.

Answer: Fear of getting cancer

Nobody wants to get cancer and we're all afraid of cancer to some degree, but people with carcinophobia go to extreme lengths to steer clear of cancer. Carcinophobics will try to avoid any possible carcinogen and are often hypochondriacs as well. They may be extremely paranoid that any physical sensation they feel could be a sign of imminent cancer, or that every lump or bump may be a cancerous tumor. Specific fears described by sufferers include enduring painful treatment, having no one to care for them, leaving their family uncared for, hair loss due to chemotherapy, loss of livelihood and, of course, death.

Answer: Fear of driving

Those of us who fight heavy traffic on a regular basis should understand this fear. Vehophobia is common in people who have been involved in or witnessed car accidents The phobia can present itself in many ways. Some sufferers are fine driving with someone else, but if they need to drive somewhere by themselves, they're paralyzed with fear. People living with vehophobia may exhibit specific driving fears like driving on highways or freeways.

This fear can coexist with concerns about losing control or dying.

Answer: Fear of being photographed

This phobia may be on the downturn recently. Fear of having your picture taken can be associated with a general fear of being looked at. Selfie lovers aren't affected by this one, that's for sure.