Phones

If one were to carry with them, at all times, a whiskey flask to sip from throughout the day; if they could not go a single hour without a drink, except, or often in spite of, their most deliberate effort; if they drank in every situation and setting, whether at home or at work or at a gathering of friends; if one acted in this way, then would one not call them an alcoholic? Would a good friend of this person not intervene to help break their unhealthy relationship with alcohol?

While alcohol in moderation may not be reason for alarm, the consumption of alcohol in this way no doubt brings the drinker only harm. What if someone were to act similarly with something more ambiguous?

If one were to bring with them, at all times, their partner; if they could not go a single hour without calling or texting or otherwise talking to their partner, except, or often in spite of, their most deliberate effort; if they brought their partner to every situation and setting, whether at home or at work or at a gathering of friends; if one acted in this way, then would one not say that they are overly-dependent on their partner? Would a good friend of this person not intervene to help break their unhealthy relationship with their partner?

Or if one were to, at all times, interrupt their task to work on tasks for their job; if they could not go a single hour without checking their email or discussing a work matter, except, or often in spite of, their most deliberate effort; if working interrupted or caused them to neglect relaxation at home, celebrating special occasions with friends, or attending to their family or children; if one acted in this way, then would one not say that they are working themselves to death and neglecting the other aspects of their life? Would a good friend of this person not intervene to help break their unhealthy relationship with their work?

These things in moderation are not sources of alarm, and there are some good things that may come out of spending a lot of time with a partner or working hard and long hours. But in excess, these things bring harm when they cause the rest of one's life to be interrupted or neglected. What if someone were to act similarly with something that ordinarily brings benefit?

If one were to bring with them, at all times, a thick fur coat, then this might be considered normal and fitting for a cold winter. A friend might even compliment the coat and say it looked stylish. But if they continued to wear it in a heated room or during the heat of summer; if they began to sweat profusely and suffered the symptoms of heat stroke; if they never took this coat off, even to wash it, and it began to reek and bear the mysterious stains of overuse and a neglectful cleaning routine; if one acted in this way, then would one not say that they are overly-dependent on their coat? Would a good friend of this person not intervene to help break their unhealthy relationship with their coat?

In all of these cases, the use of that which may ordinarily be normal or perhaps even beneficial is taken to its extreme and it might be called "abuse", or at least "overuse". A friend would hope that the person addicted to each of these various ordinary things would eventually come to leave them behind, though certainly not immediately and likely not in entirety. Nevertheless, they would hope for this individual to return to a normal level of using these things.

What if one were to carry with them, at all times, their cell phone? What if they could not go a single hour without pulling it out to scroll reels or watch videos or text friends, except, or often in spite of, their most deliberate effort? What if they allowed their phone to interrupt their life in every situation and setting, whether at home or at work or at a gathering of friends?

The ability to instantly connect with the entire world is held in the pocket of billions of people. I won't deny that this has benefits, but can one not say that alcohol, romantic partners, jobs, and winter coats also bring their own benefits?