Just like drug and alcohol addiction, phone addiction, especially among millennials, is a real problem. More and more, we have a phone in our hand. Perhaps we are guilty of that as well. Let’s be honest — we are guilty of this.
A survey conducted by Bank of America reports that “four in [ten]millennials admit to having a closer relationship with their smartphones than with the most important people in their lives.” Whether we want to admit to it or not, this most likely rings true. A lot of millennials have their phones glued to their hands. We may as well take our phones out for a fancy dinner. They have become a big part of our lives.
We use our phones when we eat dinner with people, we use it in the bathroom and we use them when we’re in class. Admit it. I would just like to add that I do not use my phone during class, at least 95 percent of the time I don’t. Additionally, millennials use their phones as a means of escape from socializing. Again, we’re all guilty of this.
“More than seven in [ten]millennials say they have used their smartphone to avoid a social interaction,” reports Bank of America. I know that when I’m in a group of people, and things get awkward, I whip out my phone and scroll through Twitter. There’s never anything worthwhile, but it’s an escape. With millennials, our phones are our safety pillow.
Have we ever thought of how often we check our phones throughout the day? The results may shock some, but for others, it is not as surprising.
“Those between the ages of 18 and 24 look at their phones most often, with an average of 74 checks per day,” Time Magazine reports. I am positive I check it at least that many times, maybe even more times throughout the day.
Time also notes that “the survey found that most people check their phones while shopping, watch-ing television, and during leisure time. However, Deloitte also found that 81 [percent]of Americans spend time looking at their phones while dining out in restaurants.” Even during our favorite shows, we have our eyes glued to our phone. I am sure your parents have yelled at you during a family dinner for being on your phone.
Gatherings with friends soon become gatherings with phones. In fact, friend groups often scroll through their phones while they are together, showing each other what they find. Walking around campus, students are often staring at their phones. It’s probably a big reason as to why so many people collide with one another on campus. Just the other day I was scrolling through my phone while walking and bumped into a tree. Phone addiction can be dangerous.
Millennials are growing more and more obsessed with their phones. It’s not just a myth that adults say
to make us feel bad. Phone addiction is real, and it is becoming a bigger problem than we may realize.
to make us feel bad. Phone addiction is real, and it is becoming a bigger problem than we may realize.
