You can guess how long that lasted.
Judging from the amount of feedback I received following that post, I am comforted that there are so many of us in the same boat.
We are slaves to our devices. We know it, but we can't stop. Like the gambler who loves the rush, we get excited when we see mail in our inbox or text messages on our phones. We enjoy searching for answers on Google. I like to look at the weather in our little Italian village and compare it to London, where we are, or Washington and New York, where our daughters are.
Don't laugh.
I received some telling anecdotes about how far this compulsion can go: One friend told me how her husband, preoccupied with his Blackberry, fell into a swimming pool, fully clothed, phone in hand. Accidents can happen to anyone, though, right?
My friend kindly lent him her Blackberry until he could replace his. The next day, focused on her device, he once again fell into the pool, fully clothed, phone in hand.
Another reader sent me a text to say that she and her husband were with another couple having coffee together in New York City. All four of them were on their devices, enjoying a companionable silence while they focused on their phones.
A teacher at a posh school for girls in London confiscates the phones of students if they try to use them in her class. She has to hand them back when the school day ends. Otherwise parents become frantic with worry if their daughters do not immediately respond to their calls or texts. The teacher admits to a bit of phone envy as most of the girls have smartphones and she doesn't.
Side note: There is a video circulating that shows a teacher in Thailand confiscating a student's cell phone and smashing in on the floor. In Asia, where teachers are held in highest esteem, she had no fear of the consequences of her actions. Teachers elsewhere might fear for their lives, or at least a lawsuit.
One friend was relieved that her computer was down for several days because she accomplished more without its distractions.
Still another reader told me she stopped using the internet altogether after developing a serious blood clot in her leg from sitting for hours in front of her computer.
I have a slight fear that device addiction can lead to isolation. We don't need to leave the house for much anymore. We can do online banking. Many of us can work from home. Groceries can be ordered online. Who needs to go shopping for clothing or gifts when it is so easy to browse and order on the internet? We make our own travel arrangements. We can even attend university online. We are able to exercise at home by plugging in exercise DVDs or Wii-Fit. We don't need to talk to our friends because we can interact online.
All of this is wonderfully convenient, and I partake in it with enthusiasm, but is it good for us?
Since getting old is a fate in store for all of us, I am interested in why some elderly people do well while others decline and withdraw from life. If there is a serious illness and/or physical/mental disability involved, that is of course another story, not for this post.
My un-scientific conclusions: Those who do well seem to maintain their sociability. They have friends in all age groups. They leave the house every day. They belong to something, like a club or church. They stay on top of the events of the day and have an interest in learning new things. They exercise every day, walking or at a gym, where they see other people.
They have learned to use the internet to maintain contact with friends and family, or to find old acquaintances. It doesn't go much further, though. They still go out to shop, bank, socialize. They turn their devices off.
Are we addicts in danger of becoming anti-social loners? Even in a roomful of people, it is easy to tune everyone else out while we focus on our little screens. You may have read about the mother who shook her infant to death for interrupting her online game.
It is something to think about.
While I am thinking about it, I am also likely to continue indulging my addiction.
My latest effort at containment is this: I will allow myself no more than one hour on the computer in the morning to read the news and check emails. I will then put the computer away and not look again until after 2 p.m. (phone texts excluded).
That's my plan and I'm sticking to it.
Or maybe I will just try it out and see how it goes.
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