Smartphone Dependency and Addiction to Technology
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (121621)
Gainesville, Florida
February 3, 2018 8:09am CST
I have been having trouble charging my smartphone lately, so yesterday I decided to take it to a repair shop and have the charging port changed out. While I was in the store, the customer in front of me was dropping her phone off to be repaired. I couldn't help but overhear the conversation with the service tech, and it made me laugh. The service tech told the girl that it was going to take about six hours to repair her phone, and she could come back at the end of the day to pick it up. The look on the girl's face was priceless...it looked like she just experienced a death in the family. She pleaded frantically, "What do you mean I have to be without my phone for six hours? Can't you fix it right now while I wait?" The service tech then went on to explain that there were about a dozen other gadgets in the queue ahead of her, and that they would try to get to her phone as quickly as possible, but it would still take a while. I thought the girl was going to cry, and she slowly staggered out the door with her head hung low.
I could imagine the range of emotions she would be going through over the next six hours as she suffered withdrawal symptoms from her addiction to her smartphone: denial, anger, frustration, depression, and hopefully acceptance.
It's hard to believe that people are so addicted to their technology that they get separation anxiety whenever they don't have their gadget right next to their side.
Are you addicted to your smartphone, computer or other tech gadget? Do you suffer from withdrawal symptoms when you are without your technology for any period of time?
On a brighter note, I was more than happy to part ways with my smartphone for a few hours. When the tech told me I could come back and pick it up in two hours, I told her I would see her in four hours! I was more than happy to have a break from the constant barrage of text messages, emails, phone calls and social media notifications!
40 people like this
41 responses
@LadyDuck (471573)
• Switzerland
3 Feb 18
I am not at all addicted to my smartphone, I only use it to place calls and I forget it at home most of the time. I need my computer to work, but I do not suffer from withdrawal symptoms when I cannot use it. I was in Milan (Italy) last Thursday, all the young people in the streets only look at their phones. They are worse than zombies.
7 people like this
@LadyDuck (471573)
• Switzerland
3 Feb 18
@moffittjc I hope they will pass a law because people do not even look if there are cars coming before crossing the roads. They seem hypnotized by their phones, it's crazy. I felt like I was on another planet.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
@LadyDuck Or, if they don't change the laws, they should make it so if there is an accident and it can be proved that the person was looking at their phone instead of paying attention to what they were doing, then that person should be at fault no matter how the accident occurred.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
So the real zombie apocalypse has truly begun, only the virus infecting their brains is their smartphones! haha
Some states here in the US are considering laws that forbid people from using their smartphones while they are walking in public. It's also been a huge issue for people using their smartphones while they are driving.
5 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
I don't mind the texts so much when it's family things, such as what you experienced yesterday. That's a wonderful way for family members to keep in touch. I just think it's funny watching some people check their social media accounts every 30 seconds, frantically thinking they are going to miss something important, like somebody posting that they have to go poop.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
@DianneN I'd rather myLot too, but right now I gotta go poop! Be right back! I'll write a post about it. LMFAO
3 people like this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
3 Feb 18
@moffittjc I hear ya! When I have the time, I'd rather myLot!
4 people like this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
3 Feb 18
I think another side to this is people like me who are in business could lose money and clients if we are away too long with our mobile phones.
3 people like this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
3 Feb 18
@moffittjc hahaha, maybe something with losing something if they don't play a certain game with their friends or team.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
That is very true, which makes sense for people in the workforce! I am the same way with my laptop...I carry it with me everywhere I go due to me constantly engaging with customers for work purposes.
But young kids and teens really can't use that excuse just quite yet! haha
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
@louievill I think it has more to do with the instant communication they are used to having. It's like they have to know everything going on at every moment. Being without their phone for any extended period of time means to them that they are missing out on everything going on in the world. They freak out if they miss their best friend's social media post about what they ate for lunch! lol
2 people like this
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
3 Feb 18
Interesting! I do not have a smartphone or any other sort of mobile device. If somebody wants to contact me they can phone me at home, and if I want to phone someone I can do that perfectly easily - also from home.
I was once given a mobile phone, but I never used it and gave it away again. I don't foresee myself ever wanting one in the future either!
OK - I do use my home computer a lot, so maybe that is where my addiction lies!
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
I carry my laptop with me just about everywhere I go, and I use it quite frequently, especially at night when I'm watching TV or lying in bed. That's probably the closest I come to a technology addiction!
2 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
3 Feb 18
Nope, I have just a plain old phone that I only take with me when I'm driving in case of an emergency @moffittjc . If I had a 'smart phone' I probably wouldn't even know how to turn it on. 
Or hopefully it would be 'smart' enough to turn itself on & off. 
Or hopefully it would be 'smart' enough to turn itself on & off. 3 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
You sound a lot like my dad when he was alive. He only carried a basic flip phone to use to make calls in an emergency. He refused to get a smartphone because he said he wouldn't even know how to use it! lol
4 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
You sound like my dad when he first got his smartphone a couple of years ago! He had no idea how to use it, and I would laugh at him because he spent all that money for all that technology and he couldn't figure out how to do a single thing on that phone! lol
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
@JudyEv I know that Apple purposely doesn't put manuals with their smartphones, because in their words, the phones are intuitive and easy enough to figure out on your own without a manual. Yeah, maybe for anyone under 18, but us older generations need a little assistance! haha
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340470)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Feb 18
@moffittjc You'd think they'd have some sort of a manual with them. 
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
4 Feb 18
This month my phone warranty expires. I need to bring my phone in for a final inspection because sometimes my camera has issues and they said I don't. I hope your phone was still under warranty! And, if your headphones or charger is broken, they give you an exchange for a new one. :) My headphones break all the time so does my cords..
I have my phone with me all the time. But if I had to send it to repair, I'll be okay without the phone. I know some who post IG stories, snapchat all the time. I've never done a story or have a snapchat Well I did one Story but it was a quick flip picture thing and never since!
Well I did one Story but it was a quick flip picture thing and never since!2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
4 Feb 18
@moffittjc Wow! How can you be brutal to your phone charging. Do you overcharge? How'd that come out to play, Mr! And glad it was under warranty, now you have a spanking battery, charging port & circuit board. 
And glad it was under warranty, now you have a spanking battery, charging port & circuit board. 1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
@infatuatedbby Sometimes I forget that my phone is plugged in and charging, and I'll grab it and try to walk away with it still plugged in. I then accidentally yank it out of the charger. I seem to do that all the time, which I knew couldn't be good for the charging port. I was right! lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
My phone was still under warranty. Almost at the end, so I'm glad it broke when it did. They ended up having to replace the battery, charging port, and circuit board between the battery and charging port. Apparently, I'm brutal to my poor phone when it comes to charging! They told me I need to be more gentle with my baby. lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
There were so many mobile games that I was addicted to playing, I finally had to delete all of them off of my smartphone. The only good part was that my girlfriend and I liked to play games back and forth with each other, but other than that I'm glad I got rid of those mobile games.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
6 Feb 18
@SIMPLYD Well, we do have lots of fun together, even when playing games!
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
3 Feb 18
With no land line anymore, I carry my smartphone with me whenever I go anywhere. The two people who call me the most are my wife and daughter. When we are all together, I don't keep it nearby.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
@JamesHxstatic Definitely. And technology has made it easier than ever to keep in touch with family and friends who live long distances away. Oh, hey, speaking of long distances, did you make your trip to San Antonio yet?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
I don't have a land line anymore either, and the only reason I even keep my smartphone on me is so I can keep in touch with my two kids throughout the day. Since I picked them up everyday from school, we generally won't talk too much on the phone throughout the day (well, they are in school after all), but instead we text back and forth a lot.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
4 Feb 18
@moffittjc It is really good to keep in touch.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Feb 18
@just4him My biggest problem is using the little keyboard with my big hands. It sure makes for a lot of grammatical mistakes in my messages! lol
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
I'm like that with my laptop. I carry my laptop with me just about everywhere I go. I prefer my laptop to my smartphone because I can use it easier and see things on it better.
2 people like this
@just4him (317089)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
4 Feb 18
@moffittjc Seeing is important to me as well. Those phones are much too small to do anything useful on them besides talk and text, and I try not to text either.
2 people like this
@Courtlynn (67083)
• United States
3 Feb 18
While I can understand that most would be mad and all that over not having their phone.. there are other people, like myself who just wouldnt like not having it incase of an emergency as we dont have a house phone, and im home alone alot and all that jazz. So i wouldn't really jump to conclussions about why she was upset, but for most i agree that would be the reason.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
That is true, and I did take the emergency thing into consideration, as that applied to me when my phone was in the shop. Without my phone, no one had a way to get a hold of me in an emergency, nor did I have a way to get a hold of anyone else if I would have had an emergency.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
@Courtlynn Oh you hush miss! I am great at assuming things! lol
2 people like this
@Courtlynn (67083)
• United States
4 Feb 18
@moffittjc exactly. Shouldn't just assume things mr.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116936)
• Anniston, Alabama
4 Feb 18
No I am not addicted to the phone. I do not have a smartphone. I have a phone but I keep the ringer on silent because I have always hated a phone but I find I need it when traveling and being a landlady.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
When cell phones first came out, I refused to get one. I hate phones too. I hated land line phones, and hated answering them or talking to people on them. So if I hated land line phones, why in the hell would I get a cel phone so people could bother me any time they wanted? Didn't make any sense to me! Thankfully, nowadays everybody texts instead of calling, and I can deal with text messages. I still hate phones to this day. I keep my phone on silent, and the only calls I will ever answer or return are the ones from my kids.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
@andriaperry Don't get me wrong, I love cell phones and think they are wonderful for many things, including the reason you listed above. I just think we need to find a good balance between how much we use them and how much we don't use them. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing.
@andriaperry (116936)
• Anniston, Alabama
4 Feb 18
@moffittjc I got a cell phone because I broke down in the middle of the night while traveling.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130218)
• Israel
4 Feb 18
That is priceless. It just shows that kids and people today are devastated if something goes wrong with their smartphone then have to be without it for a period of time to be fixed.I am glad I have one but I am not glued to it like others that I see walking down the street with their heads down instead of up.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
@Hannihar If I was on that scooter, I would just run them over! That will teach them a lesson or two! haha
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130218)
• Israel
4 Feb 18
@moffittjc
I started to watch it but did not understand it Jeff. I believe it was not my cup of tea.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130218)
• Israel
4 Feb 18
@moffittjc
Jeff, yes, I watch people in the street and when I am on my scooter they interfere with me getting by them.
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (62684)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
3 Feb 18
Six hours is nothing. When we first moved out here, I went days without phone service because AT&T doesn't get reception out here. I have Verizon now, and I get enough to text most of the time anywhere in the house, but since I have the hotspot now I am able to facebook and mylot.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
So you're telling me you are back to being addicted to your phone? lol
How are you? Are you finally getting over the flu?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
@thislittlepennyearns If you quit smoking that cough will clear up in no time! lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
6 Feb 18
@thislittlepennyearns Wow, a whole month! haha
Are you feeling better? I'm not used to having no notifications from you. Usually there's a bunch.
@mydanods (6513)
• Nigeria
4 Feb 18
@moffittjc our government should make those laws here. We don't have any yet. Texting while driving is a dangerous thing to do.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
Yes, texting is a really big problem when driving. Thankfully, our government is starting to make laws that prevent you from using your smartphone while driving
1 person likes this
@marlina (154131)
• Canada
12 Mar 18
@LadyDuck Found this interesting information on Smartphone Zombies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search In Hong Kong A smartphone zombie (German: Smombie[1][2]) is a pedestrian who walks slowly and without attention to their surroundings because they are focused upon their smartphone. This is
2 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
3 Feb 18
i could easily be separated from my phone.
Mine is losing its charge too fast.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
I just thought of something...we make fun of the younger generation for their addiction to their phones, but weren't we just the same with our own technology addiction when we were younger? Did you grow up in front of the TV, always watching it whenever you had the chance? I just realized that was my technology addiction when I was a teenager! Every chance I got I was glued to the TV watch MTV! lol
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
3 Feb 18
@moffittjc we were very restricted in our tv watching when I grew up....I still don't watch much television...I'm not glued to the radio or CD player either. I enjoy quiet.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
@Morleyhunt I'm like that now, I barely every watch TV. But growing up, I couldn't live without my MTV! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
So glad I'm not addicted either. Wait, hold on, I have a Facebook notification. Be right back.
Sorry for the interruption. Now where were we? Oh yeah, not being addicted to our phones. Dammit, hold on again...I have a text message.
Okay, I'm back. So, as I was saying about that phone addiction, I...good Lord! somebody sent me a snap with that cute dog face filter. Hold on, I'll be right back.
Give me one more second. I need to send a tweet about that snapchat photo, then post a quick photo to Instagram.
I give up. My phone needs me right now. It needs some love and attention!
LOL
2 people like this
@Meramar (2695)
•
4 Feb 18
It's also sad watching entire families next to the table for lunch or dinner and each member is just looking on the screen of their smartphones typing all the time instead of enjoying the meal. They say that the tech converts people into more communicativ people. But, is it really the kind of communication we are looking for, when we are unable to realize that we have an important live person sitting in front of us whom we could and should speak to?
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 18
I have a rule with my own kids, whenever we are together, or eating a meal together, we can't be on our smartphones. I made that a rule when I first gave them their own phones, and told them if they violate the rules they will lose their phones. They have been really good about following the rules.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
Six hours is like forever! Anything more than about three minutes is eternity to some people to be away from their devices!
2 people like this
