I have spoken with dozens of people who have complained to me about how their phones are too addicting. I am not sure the proper medical technical terminology that I should be using to describe what is going on. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat consume their lives and they cannot do anything without checking their phones constantly.
Sound familiar? I have written several essays about this emerging phenomenon and how using your phone is similar to going to the casino.
We all know this behavior is a problem, as our actions heavily deviate from our priorities. We say we want to spend time with friends and all we do is check our phones and text each other.
But what can we do about it?
Many are in search of a complicated solution. Perhaps those will work. I think the easiest way to think about it is as the following: you are obsessed with using your phone, but no one is forcing you. You could quit tomorrow. You could quit right now!
This agency is nuanced but actually make a difference in my experience.
“Facebook sucks it is so addicting and stupid.”
Just quit!
For the record, I am not saying we should all quit every social media platform. I am saying, though, that we do have the power to if we so please and that is an important feeling.