Smart Phone Disease

[Tick]

Is it just a matter of time before Smart Phone addiction is labeled a disease? It is becoming a new epidemic. I can't tell you how many times I sit at a red light for seemingly forever before the person in front of me takes there eyes off of there phone top see the light has changed.
Can you picture this at a meeting...
"Hello, my name is _____, and I'm addicted to my ph...oh hold on a second I have to respond to this"

[Kotowboy]

Is it just a matter of time before Smart Phone addiction is labeled a disease? It is becoming a new epidemic. I can't tell you how many times I sit at a red light for seemingly forever before the person in front of me takes there eyes off of there phone top see the light has changed.
Can you picture this at a meeting...
"Hello, my name is _____, and I'm addicted to my ph...oh hold on a second I have to respond to this"

Sent from Safari for iPhone

 

[Cable]

Yes.

Process/behavioral addictions so to speak were not included DSM-V. Gambling is the closest one, with the others all being substances of the top of my head.  The reward/pleasure centers of the brain are still activated with smart phones from what I gather, just generally not as a severe and as powerful as opiates for example. Most people I work with as providers have not disagreed with me, so it seems to just a matter of time.

However, there is the opinion that pharmaceutical companies were a big component of the DSM-5. And well, severe alcohol withdrawal needs chemical intervention. There is apparently a growing concept of harm-reduction opium treatment (vivitrol is the successor to suboxone & methadone) as the solution. At this moment, there really isn't a chemical drug that can treat technology addiction. So there is that view of why it not being included.

All that being said, smart phone addiction, and WoW/CoD is the tip of the iceberg. I foresee virtual reality being a much bigger addictive issue though, once it is more feasible.

 

[Phoenix87x]

I felt myself kind of going down that road, so I quit facebook and any social media, so that there's less things to check my phone for. I will text back and forth, but only with a few friends and not obsessively.

And I absolutely will not take my phone out if out to dinner, on a date.

[Zook]

Is it just a matter of time before Smart Phone addiction is labeled a disease? It is becoming a new epidemic. I can't tell you how many times I sit at a red light for seemingly forever before the person in front of me takes there eyes off of there phone top see the light has changed.
Can you picture this at a meeting...
"Hello, my name is _____, and I'm addicted to my ph...oh hold on a second I have to respond to this"

Do you not honk your horn?

[Kotowboy]

Hate seeing a table of kids in a cafe or restaurant completely silent staring down at their phones.

[TioJorge]

I honest to goodness thought this was a real thing already, and it probably should be if it isn't. Sure, there's some people that are doing actual things on their phones whether it's for work or just because they're very sociable (and I'm not talking about social media whores, mind you), but mostly people just screw around on their phones mindlessly, which is kind of indicative of at least some kind of unconscious dependence on it (a word that holds more of stigma than it should).

Every time I'll sneak a peek at a friends phone while they're Facebooking or whatever else of the handfuls of social media shit out there, it's just them scrolling, not even really reading, or they're creeping on someone. It's weird. It might be because I haven't had any social media for a good decade now, but it's so odd to me to see that shit. We all have our little boredom killers but it's faaaar past that by now with a lot of people.

People always talk about how their phones die so quickly and I'll go a good day (or a little more on some days) and mine is just nearing half battery life (3).

[Tick]

Is it just a matter of time before Smart Phone addiction is labeled a disease? It is becoming a new epidemic. I can't tell you how many times I sit at a red light for seemingly forever before the person in front of me takes there eyes off of there phone top see the light has changed.
Can you picture this at a meeting...
"Hello, my name is _____, and I'm addicted to my ph...oh hold on a second I have to respond to this"

Do you not honk your horn?

Sure, if necessary.

[Kotowboy]

People always talk about how their phones die so quickly and I'll go a good day (or a little more on some days) and mine is just nearing half battery life (3).

Yeah no shit.

  My battery lasts like 5 mins fml fml fml

Try not using it for longer than 5 minutes at a time.

One day a few weeks ago i got up on my day off and was sitting in my lounge watching something or browsing the web.

It was several hours before I even realised that my phone was still in my bedroom.


( thats because you have no friends kotowboy )

That may be true but hey - my battery lasts all day.

[mikeyd23]

Great video that applies to this topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hER0Qp6QJNU

It's about millennials but at about 3:20 in he talks about the chemical effect technology (smart phones, social media, etc...) has on our brains.

[ZKX-2099]

Blaming the phone is like blaming the can beer comes in for alcoholism.

[mikeyd23]

Blaming the phone is like blaming the can beer comes in for alcoholism.

I think that's a pretty common thing that could be said about all addictive behavior though. Everything (if it's legal of course) in moderation. Alcohol isn't necessarily bad, in moderation. Smart phones and social media aren't necessarily bad, in moderation.

The problem is, in either scenario, when those things start to be consumed on a consistent basis not in moderation.

[Chino]

My battery last all day, and that includes 2 hours of Waze, 6+ hours of spotify, and several bathroom breaks... Then again, I have a behemoth of a battery.

I use my phone a lot with no shame. I belong to many close knit online groups revolving around several of my favorite hobbies, and I like hanging out with those people, even if it's in the digital space. We meetup a few times a month and I like staying in touch in between.

[Tick]

My battery last all day, and that includes 2 hours of Waze, 6+ hours of spotify, and several bathroom breaks... Then again, I have a behemoth of a battery.

I use my phone a lot with no shame. I belong to many close knit online groups revolving around several of my favorite hobbies, and I like hanging out with those people, even if it's in the digital space. We meetup a few times a month and I like staying in touch in between.

Nothing wrong with that use at all. That's all good.

Its a problem when you are...

Texting while driving (the worst!)
Staring at your phone at a red light with no care for the light change
Sitting in a concert hall for a show and being on your phone continuously the entire show
Looking at your phone during a movie (hate this!)
Going on a date or out with family for dinner and engaging with your phone more than the live company you are there with. (Sad)

These things say you probably have an issue.

In my opinion

[Stadler]

Blaming the phone is like blaming the can beer comes in for alcoholism.

I think that's a pretty common thing that could be said about all addictive behavior though. Everything (if it's legal of course) in moderation. Alcohol isn't necessarily bad, in moderation. Smart phones and social media aren't necessarily bad, in moderation.

The problem is, in either scenario, when those things start to be consumed on a consistent basis not in moderation.

And I don't think that's absolutely true, either.  There are studies about the light emitted from the phones (let's call it "blue light") effecting and affecting our brains.   This is independent of the content.   And honestly, I'm not sure the content matters; to torture the analogy, it's like the alcoholic that doesn't have his favorite beer or favorite vodka, and turning to cheap red wine or bad whiskey, because it "does the job". 

[mikeyd23]

And I don't think that's absolutely true, either.  There are studies about the light emitted from the phones (let's call it "blue light") effecting and affecting our brains.   This is independent of the content.   And honestly, I'm not sure the content matters; to torture the analogy, it's like the alcoholic that doesn't have his favorite beer or favorite vodka, and turning to cheap red wine or bad whiskey, because it "does the job".

That's interesting, I wasn't aware of those studies, I'll check that out.

In regards to content, I think it does matter. That social media comment that gets likes, the text that someone responds to, the tweet that gets retweeted a bunch, etc... are what drives that addictive part of our brains in this context (if my understanding is correct). So it's not merely being addicted to our phones, it's more specific, it's being addicted to the social confirmation that people feel when the previously mentioned things happen (again my understanding - it might be off).

[Stadler]

Well, in fairness to you, I don't think it's either or.  I think the content generally is important, but I don't think it's content alone (since we don't have a "laptop disease" problem) and it's not ONE piece of content (we don't have a "Facebook disease" problem).  I also think that some of the issue is the ease that the smartphones allow us.   Seriously.   I'm not on Facebook or Twitter, and I'm conscious of having to address anything I write in real life, but I can tell you, having a smart phone could have gotten me into SERIOUS predicaments (not necessarily "trouble", but stuff I wouldn't share in mixed company) if I wasn't careful.  It's just TOO easy, and too.... thrilling for lack of a better word.

If we're not careful, "smart phones" and "social media" will be the death knell for monogamy in our lifetime (again, not really kidding here).

[T-ski]

my name is Mark, I'm 44 years old and I don't own a smart phone.

[TioJorge]

Freak! *throws tiny microchips*

[Train of Naught]

Well, in fairness to you, I don't think it's either or.

Exactly, the content is part of it, but not 100%. I find it funny that some times, when I get out my phone to check something, respond to an e-mail or whatever, one or more people around me take out their phone right afterwards. It's actually contageous like that with some.

And as for the actual thread topic, I do admit I'm guilty of sometimes grabbing my phone and aimlessly wander Facebook (or DTF ) when I'm on the train and I forgot to bring my book or something. But I wouldn't dare doing so in an environment where it could trouble others, like in traffic or during a meeting of some sort.

[mikeyd23]

Exactly, the content is part of it, but not 100%. I find it funny that some times, when I get out my phone to check something, respond to an e-mail or whatever, one or more people around me take out their phone right afterwards. It's actually contageous like that with some.

SO true! This happens to me all the time