Confession of an addict

 Confession of an addict  

As a kid I was taught that drinking alcohol is a great sin. When I grew up, I was constantly reminded of the verses "In them is great sin and yet, some benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit." from the holly book so that I don’t even go close.

I never got drunk nor used drugs or gambled, not even smoked cigars. But I must confess that I’m an addict. So is everyone around me. Age, gender, religion, origin no bar all of us are ‘Screen’ addicts.

Don’t you panic if you misplace cell phone somewhere?

Is cell phone the first thing you look for when get up in the morning?

Are the superficial relationships in social media and the likes, comments or a forward message more important to you than the person who committed his life to you?

 Are you indifferent to the curious questions of little ones or don’t even have a few minutes to play with them because you are busy taping, typing or scrolling the device?

If this is not addiction, what else would it be? The irony is that, this device is often gifted by the same person whom you unintentionally ignore the most!!

Here is the finding from a Harvard study. “Although not as intense as hit of cocaine, positive social stimuli will similarly result in a release of dopamine, reinforcing whatever behaviour preceded it. Cognitive neuroscientists have shown that rewarding social stimuli—laughing faces, positive recognition by our peers, messages from loved ones—activate the same dopaminergic reward pathways”.

Strange thing about the screen addiction is that unlike other addicts you are always welcome in every important event be it a critical business meeting or a family gathering! It is absolutely ok to play with your phone in a serious business meeting, may be the stock price notifications or a political tweet are far more important than the person who is presenting?

This may sound bizarre, no religious leader, government or a family member remind you that this addiction is as serious as alcohol or drug addiction. If too much alcohol is bad, too much of social media is worse. It is a fact that people spend too much time on social media is far more depressed than those who do not. Like any addiction, this would also cost you relationships and waste a lot of time and money. Beyond the superficial relationships that will lead to more troubles later, screen addiction wont even helps you build true camaraderie like smoking or drinking.

 I’m yet to see a social media rehabilitation centre in any part of the world I travelled. While I can find two alcohol de addiction centres within 3-4 miles from where I live. The reality is, world has far less alcohol addicts than screen addicts. But why should alcohol or drug addiction be treated??    Strange!! Isn’t it?

Is it because governments would need to build more social media rehabilitation centres than COVID hospitals? Or is it because religious texts talk only about alcohol and gambling not about screen addiction?

So, what is next?  How do we solve this?

 Wait a minute, let me create a WhatsApp group and a Facebook page. Let us keep debating about it for hours, share some forwards, upload some pictures and get depressed!! Because I don’t get as many likes as expected.