I’m addicted to the internet
The phone is just one of many ways to get to it.
It’s like saying a drunkard is addicted to “the bottle”. They aren’t. They are addicted to alcohol.
No if I have my PC close.
Absolutely.
Going somewhere? Music and maybe a game!
At home with nothing to do? Music, videos, or maybe a game, even if doing other things!
Going to my different classes in the allotted 10 minutes? Music!
I’ll gladly admit I’m addicted to not just my phone, but also some of my other electronics as well.
Looking at my usage, especially last Sunday, yeah.
Yes, I know, I tried both Firefox and Vivaldi, both had some things I quite didn’t like, I keep trying them like every 3 months.
Sorry, I can’t name them, I keep forgetting the specific issues.Before there were smart phones, I was addicted to a PDA velcroed to a Ricochet modem.
Yep. Not even going to try and deny it. I know I am because sometimes I reach for it and start scrolling without even realizing that I’m doing it.
No. I could stop af any time. I just choose not to. Its totally voluntary.
(Just like smokers, they could stop at anytime, they just choose not to)
My doctor said I should not drink brake fluid, I told him not to worry… I can stop anytime
It’s easy to stop smoking! I do it several tines a day!
Same
I am addicted to dopamine.
My phone is one of the less harmful sources of a dopamine feedback loop.
Working with my therapist to get a hold on that.
Ugh same. I’ve tried to reduce screen time a few times but it inevitably leads to more skin picking/nail biting.
I’ve always been shit at being idle. There’s so many other activities I’ve been suggested to try instead but none have worked (usually either because of adhd or the chronic tendinitis in my wrist).
Phone? Nah. It’s only a tool, used for photography, maps/navigation, messaging while on the go, shopping lists and phone calls for that one time a month you need to make one. Maybe other stuff sometimes, like making a bank transfer when not at home or editing OSM.
I used to be indirectly addicted to it. It was actually doomscrolling Reddit, but now that I’m off it I don’t get the urge anymore.
My desktop is a different story, I’m kind of addicted to it while I’m at home; when outside I don’t really miss it.
No. I’m addicted to board games with friends. But here I am on my phone again.
Addicted means it’s a bad thing. Did people used to be addicted to A-Zs, reading, talking to friends, reading news, etc?
My phone just provides an easy way to do the things I already want to do.
“Addicted” means: exhibiting a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity.
If something is chronically prohibiting you from living a normal healthy life, that would be considered an addiction. If you have set times or you have the ability to responsibly engage with something without it interfering with other tasks or obligations, it likely is not an addiction. If you continue to do something which is more often detrimental to your well being yet you feel you’re getting a rush by doing it, that is likely an addiction.
No. No one is asking if talking to friends or reading the news is an addiction. However, if you find that you are engaging in these activities as a way to absolve or distract yourself from other obligations, you may fit the definition of being addicted.
This really raises the moral question of what are people supposed to do with their time. If you have the means to care for yourself, who’s to judge you for what you do with your time? If you choose to not have a family or not participate in your community or give back to the world in any way, is an addiction really a problem? If you’re choosing to not have a healthy productive life, is an addiction to drugs or gambling or sex or social media detrimental to anything?
This really raises the moral question of what are people supposed to do with their time. If you have the means to care for yourself, who’s to judge you for what you do with your time? If you choose to not have a family or not participate in your community or give back to the world in any way, is an addiction really a problem? If you’re choosing to not have a healthy productive life, is an addiction to drugs or gambling or sex or social media detrimental to anything?
I’ve never met anyone with an apparent addiction - and I’ve met quite a few in my day - that were completely happy with the life they were leading. Probably because real addiction entails a loss of control that would be detrimental to your life and self-esteem. Even if you have no one around you, if you want to do anything else with your day besides drink and you constantly fail, it’s not a good thing for your mental health. You’d continuously find yourself in degrading situations.
Coming to terms with “choice” in the context of addiction is a difficult thing to me. I’m really not sure where I stand on it. It’s definitely not the same as making decisions when completely sober, you’re not completely helpless or without personal responsibility either.
And then some people seem to be able to consume copious amounts of drugs or alcohol at some time in their life and then just walk away from it without issues. Perhaps it’s genetics, or a personality thing, who knows.
I can imagine people being so distraught and apathetic that their addiction feels like the only thing that gives them purpose in life. I think that’s why a lot of people find addiction - to make up for what they don’t have. Or, in the context of younger people with phones, they just don’t know a world without it.
If you live alone, have no kids or pets, and all you do after work is play video games or doom scroll or watch porn; as long as your bills are being paid, is this an “addiction”? Are these the kinds of people you’ve met?
I think we’re only just beginning to see the ramifications of phone / social media addiction and our disinterest or fear in engaging with others in real life. Our devices are giving us all this unnatural dopamine drip we otherwise can’t find in the wild. Is this an addiction and if so, is their reliance on screens going to become a problem as these young people face adulthood? Or is adulthood going to change for them? Not to mention how my 70+ year old mother is 100% addicted to the dings from her phone.
What you’re describing doesn’t sound like an addiction, no, but does that mean no one is or could be addicted to their phone?
Probably. I do try to limit my usage to like 5 hours a day and less since I need it for GPS and whatnot. I am planning to get a car dash tablet and a mp3 player so that should also help minimize my usage of my phone even more
No, I’m addicted to the apps in my phone. Without them (or internet to use them) I don give a damn about that thing.
I’m addicted to having something to do, the phone is the most obvious thing to look at when I don’t have anything else to do, but I never look at my phone when e.g. driving except for purposes of navigation or music control.
Nope, I have a lot better things to do than look at a tiny handheld screen.
Let me guess, looking at a large screen on a desk?
