The average American adult spends more than four hours a day on their phone. But at what point does it become an addiction? Thankfully I am not one of them but I admit to spending close to that on the iMac over the course of a day. How about you?

 

Not too much on the phone, too much time spent on the PC or laptop, which I often have on my lap through out the evening. Making more of an effort to spend some time reading vs clicking. Like most, I pull out the phone when waiting for appointment, etc.

 

I think it is addicting to people with certain personalities. I spend way more time on the internet than I should, it is like falling down a rabbithole. I had an i-phone for about 4 or so years and had it through my job, when I left the job and turned the phone in I decided to go without one since I was wasting so much time with my face glued to it. It's been years since I've been without one but honestly with everyone else having one and communicating with texts etc. I'm slowly breaking down and thinking of getting one. In addition I'm not as adventurous as I used to be and if I break down some night coming home from work I'll be wishing I had a cell phone. Plus my landline keeps going up so the monthly payment won't be much more for a cell phone. I have a friend who always tells me everything in moderation but that is always easier said than done.

 

I have a smartphone and for me my phone is an extension of my computer. I get all of my e-mails on my phone, and I use it to keep up with the stock market and the sites I visit (including this one) on the internet, my online banking and purchasing in addition to phone calls (which are probably the smallest part of my usage). I find it very convenient to be able to continue to do my work on the computer and use my phone for auxiliary things like e-mail. I also fine it very convenient to take all of that with me no matter where I go.

The phone, of course, is a double edge sword. I use my cell phone for my practice, all of my clients call me on my cell phone, and I get all of my practice e-mails on my cell phone. While I think it's great to be in contact all of the time, the downside of this is that I am always at work. When a client calls on a Sunday afternoon or at 9:00 at night, I'm in the office.

I guess I have to admit that I am addicted. Not to my phone or to the computer but rather to electronic communications and activities.

 

Between the iPhone, iPad and the MacBook I would be way past 4 hours.

 

I have been leaving my mobile at home when I go out in town and run errands or whatever, It is kind of nice to be left alone and not checking the thing all the time. The only fly in the ointment is I cannot stream music to the car, I have to use something called a radio (Thank goodness we have multiple, very good classical and jazz stations)

I no longer worry about crew scheduling or training trying to get in touch with me. Now, nobody cares about calling me, LOL!

When I am told by some panicked individual that they could not get a hold of me ( how COULD I intentionally leave the phone at home?) it turns out to be nothing of great import. Besides, the police will not be able to prove from cell phone tower data that I was anywhere near the scene of the crime.

 

I hate it, I only use it for work because I have to. For work purposes I am on it 7 days per week, many hours per day. I don't facebook, twitter, or instagram. My phone is my electronic leash, wish I could toss it into the river.

 

I could set my fit bit watch up to notify me if I have a call or text coming into my phone. No thanks, I don't want to be that connected. I like dis-connecting at the Y and at other times. An apple watch? No thanks. First, it's way too small, and again, I don't want to be that connected. I've had some fun times ruined by checking my email only to find out something that was upsetting. Most of the time, there is nothing I can do to help the situation, so NOT checking in would have been better.

 

I think the headline could be misleading.

In the past, TV watching, Radio listening, Internet surfing, Phone talking were all independent things. We all grew up with those as separate functions. Clearly we all were mostly older when Internet surfing became a thing, some maybe even TV watching, but I think you get the point.You didn't "watch" on the radio, or talk on the computer.

The difference now is that the device that was single function before, is the device that you can use (and I suspect the next generations) to do everything. Similar to Rob's post. So, the 4 hours on a phone probably equates to the same 4 hours for an older generation for TV, or PC, etc...

 

Because of non-stop storms lately I seem to check it a lot due to non-ending alerts. In the 33-hour period from midnight Wednesday to 9 a.m. Thursday, there were 374,000 flashes and 36,000 cloud-to-ground lightening strikes over Michigan.

I never carried my flip phone anywhere anytime but the iPhone with its photos, videos, text, news, etc. features does suck you in to using it.