The New iPhone 11 Pro Is Triggering People’s Trypophobia

When Apple unveiled its new line of iPhones at this year’s annual event, the buzz surrounding it was mostly packed with people making jokes about prepping to donate their kidneys so they could afford the iPhone 11. But now, a new issue has reared its head and it's even uglier than the new iPhone’s design.

The new iPhone 11 Pro is now triggering some people’s trypophobia, which is the overwhelming emotional fear of a repetitive pattern of holes clustered together. Among other updates like pastel coloured phone options and a slightly better display, the new iPhone 11 Pro has a three-camera setup so photography buffs can masturbate to the tune of their shutters clicking without needing the bulky camera to set the mood. While this is actually pretty revolutionary, since your phone could potentially replace traditional DSLR equipment, the flip side is that the design looks like someone went all out on it with a punch. And it’s really affecting people who are ordinarily put off by honeycombs and sponges.

Probably since trypophobia isn’t classified as a phobia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and is seen more as a disgust than a fear, this new development is making Twitter trolls add fuel to the trigger fire, with many saying that just because the design is ugly, doesn’t make it unbearable.

Still, many acknowledge that even though they hadn’t heard of trypophobia before, a quick google search was enough for them to realise they actually have it.

“Looking at this picture definitely triggers my trypophobia. It makes me feel itchy, mildly nauseated and makes the hair on my neck stand up,” Cauvery Rajgopal, a media executive who is self-diagnosed with severe trypophobia, tells VICE.

Looks like Apple didn’t account for this sinkhole in their design.

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