An interesting opinion piece written by Gizmodo’s Anna Jane Grossman caught my attention by suggesting that not only is the iPhone incredibly addicting – it just might be a worse addiction than cigarettes!
Grossman’s clever article discusses the nature of being addicted to the iPhone, and compares it to a cigarette addiction based on frequency of use, social interaction, and the difficulty of having to go without it.
She suggests that cigarette addiction, while perhaps more physically harmful, is less socially crippling and far more socially understandable than iPhone addiction. She considers that iPhone addiction often leads to social isolation, whereas cigarette addiction just might force you to interact socially every now and then (need a light?)
She goes on to compare the differences between a smoke break and an iPhone break, discusses how much easier it is to walk or complete a variety of tasks while smoking vs while using an iPhone, and ultimately suggests that the real trouble is with the iPhone’s permanent internet connection – which is why she switched to an iPod Touch.
While obviously satirical, the article goes on to make quite a number of additional points for why cigarettes just might be less harmful than iPhone addiction. I found this a really enjoyable read, and encourage you to read Grossman’s entire article!
