Phone Addiction, A Silent Epidemic

Sep 28 , 2024
By Eden Sahle

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In today's social media-focused culture, many individuals prioritize their online presence over real-life interactions—with a surprising influence among mature adults rather than just the younger generations. My observations during various gatherings, including mourning visitations and celebrations, reveal that people, regardless of age, are often distracted by their phones, seeking notifications even when there are none, annoying those around them.

Many people return from vacations without truly enjoying them, as they prioritize documenting their experiences for social media over engaging with their companions. As a result, phones have increasingly taken precedence over real-life interactions, making it harder to capture the attention of adults compared to children. This obsession extends to dangerous behaviors, such as creating social media content while driving.

Many people today overlook the value of in-person interactions, opting for virtual connections with individuals they may never meet. I started noticing this trend after observing a couple at a restaurant who seemed to be unfamiliar with each other. After sitting down, the man quickly pulled out his phone, and after a few moments, the woman joined him. Both became engrossed in their devices instead of engaging in conversation, failing to recognize the need to communicate with one another.

When dining out with my husband and daughter at a popular restaurant, I observed how close seating makes it hard to ignore other diners. Many couples in their twenties and thirties are present, with those in their thirties often holding hands until they sit down. However, once seated, they quickly shift their focus to photographing their expensive meals and engaging with online reactions, treating each other as if they were strangers. They focus on sharing images of their meals rather than savoring them, chasing online popularity instead of personal happiness. Contrastingly and interestingly, younger diners tend to spend less time on their phones and return to conversation with their companions more often.

Similarly, and again in contrast to popular thinking, during mourning visitations and holidays, teenagers managed to converse with one another while only occasionally checking their phones. Adults, however, frequently interrupted discussions to engage with their devices, making focused conversations increasingly rare.

Couples, while appearing happy in social media photos, neglect their real-life companions. They prioritize online validation over genuine interactions, competing with others and overlooking their own blessings. Psychologists suggest that our daily activities shape our identities, and many people are unconsciously allowing their identities to be defined by excessive phone and social media use, losing sight of meaningful connections.

Individuals prioritize online validation from their followers over real-life interactions. They feel rewarded by their online presence and neglect to assess their offline relationships, believing that their virtual constructions are more valuable for maintaining a sociable image.

Individuals overlook the importance of real-life relationships, forgetting that true support comes from those who care for them. They forget it’s those in real life who can hold them up and give support when they need a helping hand. They are distracted by polished online images, neglecting the genuine relationships and love from people in their lives.

Everything comes with a cost, often unnoticed, and excessive focus on the online world distances us from real life. We have to aspire to find a balance rather than idealizing virtual experiences, doing so can help alleviate the stress of meeting unrealistic social media expectations.

Engaging with social media friends could be fine as long as we don’t neglect those next to us.

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PUBLISHED ON Sep 28,2024 [ VOL 25 , NO 1274]

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