In my Digital Media Literacy class on Tuesday, many of my classmates spoke of their “addiction” to media, particularly their phones. They talked about how they would feel disconnected or lost without their devices. While some presented their apparent addiction in rather dramatic terms, most described an experience that sounded more like a habitual pattern than actual addiction.

Addiction usually characterizes someone who is incapable of living without something without suffering a severe psychological or physical reaction. The nervous tick of checking one’s phone every five minutes is an impulse created by a habitual pattern. While it resembles addiction because of its frequency and repetition, I would venture to guess that the reason behind that action is not a feeling of needing the phone (as in addiction), but rather of following the easiest behavioral pathway. Most people check their phones almost unconsciously.

Addiction also implies some element of choice, in which the addictee cannot make the choice not to engage in a certain activity, even if they know that activity is harmful. Checking one’s phone is not a conscious choice; it is rather a learned behavior. As with any learned behavior, it can be unlearned. The steps for moving away from that particular behavioral pattern could require similar therapy techniques to those used to treat addiction, but it would likely be an easier and quicker process.

I feel fortunate that I have never learned the phone-check behavior. It is largely because I do not have an iPhone, and therefore do not have all the apps imaginable at my fingertips, but it benefits me in a number of ways. First, I am always present. So often people are simultaneously having multiple social interactions, and not really paying attention to their surroundings. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I am having a conversation (usually in a group rather than one-on-one – I’m not that boring) and someone checks their phone in the middle. It immediately deflates the entire atmosphere. Second, I am not beholden to anyone. Other than a select few people – my family and closest friends – I don’t have to be in constant interaction with others through media. As an introvert, this is an immensely freeing way to live my life. When our teacher presented the idea of a 24-hour “media fast” others reacted with outrage. I just sat back and smiled. What others perceived as a stressful experience, I thought would be a relaxing change of pace.

-epn