1854 Phonoholic

I read recently how smartphones are taking a bigger chunk out of our household budgets. I can believe it. The technological explosion, while wonderful in providing us with instantaneous information, has come at a cost. Between smartypants phones and internet cable and NetFlix-enabled thousand channel HDTVs, people are surrounded by costly electronic subscription services. You used to buy a subscription to a couple of magazines for 50 bucks a year. Now it's $250 a month to get all the bells and whistles of pointless diversion.
Last year people spent $116 more on telephone services alone than they did in 2007, even though total annual expenditures increased by only $67. Interestingly, over the same period, restaurant spending declined by $48, spending on apparel by $141, and entertainment spending by $126.
That means trade-offs. Those fidgety phone folks we see everyplace have sacrificed something else to feed their fidgetyness. They say people get addicted to smartphones. This seems like further proof. Sounds like the heroin addict or the alcoholic, ready to sacrifice the normal things in his life to feed his habit.
Cut back on going to restaurants, people are always frowning at you while you're there anyhow, swiping and gesturing and beeping and pinging with your phone.
And who needs new clothes? As long as you have a pocket to hold your phone you're dressed enough. And any pictures of you that you send on your phone are head shots.
And entertainment spending? Who wants to go to a movie place where they block your signal? Heck, in six months you can watch that same movie on your phone and keep up on your tweets at the same time.
Hmmm. Sacrificing, rationalizing---key qualities of addictive behavior.
It may be time for a smartphone twelve-step app...
America, ya gotta love it.