shǒujīkòng: 手机控 - Smartphone Addict, Phubber

• Keywords: shoujikong, 手机控, smartphone addict, phone addict Chinese, phubber, addicted to phone, Chinese slang, 低头族, ditouzu, phone obsession, 控 meaning, Chinese internet culture
• Summary: “手机控 (shǒujīkòng)” is a popular Chinese slang term for a “smartphone addict” or “phubber”—someone who is obsessed with their phone and can't seem to put it down. It vividly describes a person who is seemingly “controlled” (控) by their mobile phone (手机). This term is essential for understanding modern Chinese social dynamics, where digital life is deeply integrated into everything from paying for groceries to maintaining relationships.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shǒujīkòng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A person who is obsessed with or addicted to their smartphone.
• In a Nutshell: A `手机控` is someone whose life seems to revolve around their phone. They're the first to check their phone when they wake up and the last to put it down at night. The term isn't a clinical diagnosis; it's a social label. It's often used in a light-hearted or self-deprecating way to describe a behavior that is incredibly common in modern China.

• 手 (shǒu): Means “hand.”
• 机 (jī): A shortened form of `机器 (jīqì)`, meaning “machine” or “device.” Together, `手机 (shǒujī)` literally means “hand machine”—a mobile phone.
• 控 (kòng): This is the key character. While it means “to control,” here it functions as a suffix borrowed from the Japanese word “コン (con),” which is short for “complex” (コンプレックス). In modern Chinese slang, `-控 (-kòng)` is attached to a noun to mean “obsessed with,” “-phile,” or “fanatic.”

So, `手机控 (shǒujīkòng)` doesn't mean “phone controller.” It describes someone who has a “phone complex,” implying they are actually *controlled by* their obsession with their phone.

`手机控` is more than just a slang word; it's a cultural symbol of China's hyper-digitalization. In China, smartphones are not just communication devices—they are wallets (`支付宝 Alipay`, `微信支付 WeChat Pay`), social hubs (`微信 WeChat`), entertainment centers, and shopping malls (`淘宝 Taobao`). This deep integration makes being a `手机控` an almost unavoidable part of modern urban life. Comparison to “Smartphone Addict”: In Western culture, calling someone a “smartphone addict” can carry a heavy, almost clinical connotation, suggesting a serious problem that needs to be fixed. While `手机控` can be used negatively, it's often much more casual. People will openly and humorously call themselves a `手机控`. It's a shared social identity. This term is closely related to another popular phrase, `低头族 (dītóuzú)` - the “low-headed tribe” or “head-down tribe.” This describes the ubiquitous sight of people in public spaces (subways, restaurants, sidewalks) all looking down at their phones, physically embodying the behavior of a `手机控`.

`手机控` is a very common, informal term used in daily conversation, on social media, and in online articles discussing social trends.

• Connotation: It can be slightly negative, neutral, or even self-deprecatingly humorous, depending on the context and tone of voice.
• Formality: It is strictly informal. You would not use this term in a formal report or a serious academic discussion without defining it.
• Usage Scenarios:
  • Joking with friends: “You haven't looked up from your screen in an hour, you're such a 手机控!”
  • Self-description: “I'm a total 手机控. I get anxious if my battery is below 20%.”
  • Social commentary: News articles might discuss the societal impact of everyone becoming a `手机控`.

• Example 1:
  • 我承认我是一个不折不扣的手机控，离开手机就觉得不自在。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ chéngrèn wǒ shì yīgè bùzhébùkòu de shǒujīkòng, líkāi shǒujī jiù juédé bùzìzài.
  • English: I admit I'm a total smartphone addict; I feel uneasy when I'm away from my phone.
  • Analysis: This is a classic example of self-deprecation. The speaker is using the term to describe their own behavior in a candid way. `不折不扣 (bùzhébùkòu)` is an idiom meaning “out-and-out” or “through and through,” which emphasizes the degree of their obsession.
• Example 2:
  • 别当手机控了，我们好好聊聊天吧！
  • Pinyin: Bié dāng shǒujīkòng le, wǒmen hǎohǎo liáoliáo tiān ba!
  • English: Stop being a phubber, let's have a good chat!
  • Analysis: This is a gentle complaint or request. It's used to ask someone to put their phone away and engage with the people around them. `好好 (hǎohǎo)` means “properly” or “in a good way,” emphasizing the desire for quality interaction.
• Example 3:
  • 他是不是个手机控？吃饭的时候眼睛也离不开屏幕。
  • Pinyin: Tā shì bùshì ge shǒujīkòng? Chīfàn de shíhòu yǎnjīng yě lí bùkāi píngmù.
  • English: Is he a smartphone addict? Even when eating, his eyes can't leave the screen.
  • Analysis: A question used to label someone's behavior. `离不开 (lí bùkāi)` means “can't separate from” or “can't leave,” vividly describing the attachment to the phone screen (`屏幕 píngmù`).
• Example 4:
  • 很多年轻人都是手机控，这对他们的视力不好。
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō niánqīngrén dōu shì shǒujīkòng, zhè duì tāmen de shìlì bù hǎo.
  • English: A lot of young people are phone addicts, which is bad for their eyesight.
  • Analysis: Here, the term is used in a more observational and slightly critical context, highlighting a negative consequence (`对…不好 duì…bù hǎo`, “is bad for…”).
• Example 5:
  • 当一个手机控也有好处，比如我总能第一时间知道最新的新闻和折扣。
  • Pinyin: Dāng yīgè shǒujīkòng yě yǒu hǎochù, bǐrú wǒ zǒng néng dì yī shíjiān zhīdào zuìxīn de xīnwén hé zhékòu.
  • English: Being a phone addict has its advantages, for example I'm always the first to know the latest news and discounts.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows a humorous, positive spin on the term. `第一时间 (dì yī shíjiān)` means “at the first possible moment,” highlighting the efficiency of being constantly online.
• Example 6:
  • 为了改掉手机控的毛病，我开始睡前一小时不看手机。
  • Pinyin: Wèile gǎi diào shǒujīkòng de máobìng, wǒ kāishǐ shuì qián yī xiǎoshí bù kàn shǒujī.
  • English: In order to fix my bad habit of being a phone addict, I've started not looking at my phone for one hour before bed.
  • Analysis: `毛病 (máobìng)` means “bad habit” or “flaw.” This shows someone acknowledging their `手机控` behavior as a problem they want to `改掉 (gǎi diào)`, or “get rid of/correct.”
• Example 7:
  • 你整天抱着手机，真是个无可救药的手机控！
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zhěng tiān bàozhe shǒujī, zhēnshì ge wúkějiùyào de shǒujīkòng!
  • English: You're glued to your phone all day, you're truly a hopeless smartphone addict!
  • Analysis: A more exaggerated and critical usage between close friends or family. `无可救药 (wúkějiùyào)` is a strong idiom meaning “hopeless” or “incurable.” `抱着手机 (bàozhe shǒujī)` literally means “hugging the phone,” a very descriptive phrase.
• Example 8:
  • 现在的孩子很多都成了手机控，父母很担心。
  • Pinyin: Xiànzài de háizi hěn duō dōu chéngle shǒujīkòng, fùmǔ hěn dānxīn.
  • English: Nowadays many children have become phone addicts, and their parents are very worried.
  • Analysis: This sentence reflects a common societal concern, using `成了 (chéngle)` which means “have become” to indicate a change in state.
• Example 9:
  • 我女朋友是个手机控，我们约会时她总是在刷朋友圈。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ nǚpéngyǒu shì ge shǒujīkòng, wǒmen yuēhuì shí tā zǒng shì zài shuā Péngyǒuquān.
  • English: My girlfriend is a phone addict; when we're on a date, she's always scrolling through her WeChat Moments.
  • Analysis: This example links the behavior to a specific, common action: `刷朋友圈 (shuā Péngyǒuquān)`, or scrolling through the WeChat social feed. This makes the description very relatable in a Chinese context.
• Example 10:
  • 如果你不是手机控，你怎么可能知道这么多冷知识？
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ bùshì shǒujīkòng, nǐ zěnme kěnéng zhīdào zhème duō lěngzhīshí?
  • English: If you weren't a phone addict, how could you possibly know so much trivia?
  • Analysis: This is a teasing, almost complimentary way to use the term. It frames the phone obsession as a source of extensive (if sometimes useless) knowledge, known as `冷知识 (lěngzhīshí)` or “cold knowledge/trivia.”

• Mistake 1: Misunderstanding the `-控` suffix.
  • A learner might see `控 (kòng)` and think it means “control,” leading to a misunderstanding of the word's dynamic. Incorrect: “I am a phone-controller.” Correct: “I am phone-obsessed.” Remember that `-控` indicates an obsession with the preceding noun. It's used in many other slang terms: `颜控 (yánkòng)` - someone obsessed with good looks; `声控 (shēngkòng)` - someone obsessed with pleasant voices.
• Mistake 2: Treating it as a “False Friend” to “Addict.”
  • While `手机控` translates to “smartphone addict,” it lacks the severe, clinical weight of the English word “addict.” Using it to describe someone's serious, life-ruining dependency on their phone might understate the problem. For a more serious condition, the term `网瘾 (wǎngyǐn)` (internet addiction) might be more appropriate, as it's recognized as a more clinical issue in China. `手机控` is for everyday, social use.
• Mistake 3: Using it in formal contexts.
  • This is slang. In a formal speech or academic paper, you would describe the behavior instead of using the label. Incorrect (in a formal presentation): “The survey shows 70% of our students are `手机控`.” Correct: “The survey shows 70% of our students exhibit behaviors of excessive smartphone use.”

• 低头族 (dītóuzú): The “low-headed tribe.” A near-perfect synonym for `手机控`, focusing on the physical posture of users in public.
• 刷手机 (shuā shǒujī): “To scroll/swipe the phone.” The primary verb or action associated with being a `手机控`.
• 控 (kòng): The suffix for “obsession.” Understanding this helps you create or understand other slang, like `萝莉控 (luólìkòng)` (lolicon) or `大叔控 (dàshūkòng)` (obsession with older men).
• 网瘾 (wǎngyǐn): “Internet addiction.” A broader and more serious term, often with clinical implications. A `手机控` might have a degree of `网瘾`.
• 宅男 / 宅女 (zháinán / zháinǚ): A male/female “otaku” or homebody who prefers staying indoors, often engaging with digital media. There is a large overlap between this group and `手机控`.
• 剁手党 (duòshǒudǎng): The “hand-chopping clan.” People addicted to online shopping, a behavior often enabled by smartphones.
• 微信 (Wēixìn): WeChat, the “super-app” that is a primary reason many people are `手机控`. It's used for messaging, social media, payments, and more.
• 熬夜 (áoyè): “To stay up late.” A common habit of a `手机控` who scrolls their phone late into the night.