Addiction

It’s not the addiction you imagine. It’s one a majority of the population has fallen victim to. It’s one that without it, you wouldn’t be able to read these words or contact long lost school mates and your third cousin, once removed. As a society we cast the heavy weight of judgement on drug addicts, alcohol addicts, sex addicts, food addicts but have failed to squint that beady eye of scrutiny on the mirror, on ourselves

How often do you search WebMD for the symptoms of your impending death after one cough? How many times in a 30 minute period do you receive notifications from WhatsApp (described as Whatsup by some Babyboomers)? How many tweets do you push out, retweeting without really pondering the content? More seriously, how many of you have taken your mobile device to the bathroom while you have a bowel movement? To dinner with family so you can continue watching a video on YouTube? Walking across the street while responding to a text message? Is anything THAT urgent? Technology has replaced our human companionship and is encouraging us to forget our manners (those of us that had any to begin with).

I can be speaking to someone for an hour and they would not have exchanged a glance, a nod or even a hand movement to indicate they are participating in a conversation with me. Instead, the other person is looking at their phone or computer or television. This should not be a standard of human interaction. It’s not multi-tasking. It’s rude. It’s dividing focus and telling their audience they are not important and that they should not afford you much attention. We’re breeding hostility whether it’s intentional or we notice it. The same unintended byproduct of alcoholic or drug addicted parents. 🤷🏽‍♀️

People go to bed with their phones as though the group chat about travel plans won’t hold for a few hours while you rest your body in preparation for the work day (after all, if you get fired there will be no damn travel). Technology has made us impatient. We need everything now. Results must be immediate. Responses must be received ten minutes ago.

Our addiction to technology is costing us dearly. We are treating our lives like mobile phones. Your spouse isn’t as sleek as she was before? Trade her in, upgrade her for the new flashier model. Your clothes don’t fit or need to be tailored? Don’t lose weight or repair them. Buy more storage (clothes). There’s no effort or motivation to expend effort. We are a planet of addicts not seeking help because we don’t recognise our dependency. Technology enables something many people starve for. Attention.

I’m not free of addiction except for the bathroom (that’s a phone-free zone). My addiction has left me lonely, seeking satisfaction outside of my phone, laptop, Firestick, AppleTV, Ring doorbell, Apple Watch…fed up with live feeds and photos immediately posted before I’ve left a party. There’s some joy in waiting, anticipation is all but lost.

In the words of Queen, I want to break free!