Cell phone addiction is when, instead of choosing to use our phones, they are just somehow always in our hands, glowing their electric blue promise of being the answers to our every need and desire. They create a dopamine fix of pleasure that keeps us hooked, lusting for next like, engaging text, or candy crushed.

People are addicted to social media now more than ever. We think it will fulfill the COVID sized hole in our social lives. Some connection does happen online, but more often than not, readers leave feeling deflated by how much fun Everyone Else seems to be having. Then, ironically and tragically, we stayed logged-on, scrolling for the happy thing that will bring us up again, or at least back to our baseline.

At this time, Silicon Valley has admitted to consciously manufacturing this insidious cycle by intentionally adding addictive elements to the smartphone experience.

Cell phone addition affects relationships in many ways. One obvious way is that one’s partner ends up in an unfair fight, completing with the erotic allure of infinite information and connectivity at the palm of your hand. Couples admit to sleeping with their phones, turning on their devices before they do anything else in the morning and even using their phones at the dinner table. Sometimes, than more moderate user will follow suit, giving in to the inevitable, “if you can’t beat em, join em.” As a result, communication and connection suffer and couples are left feeling more lonely together than apart.

For ways to better understand and address how this plays out in your life, you might want to read my blog entry about soft addition.