Electronic devices are potentially addictive

Early one morning a few days ago, I encountered a homeless youth sleeping face down in the outer lobby of my church (First Lutheran). I shook him awake and after a few moments, groaning from the effects of some kind of overdose, he rolled over. The first thing I saw, clutched in his hand against his face, was an iPhone, its green iridescent screen glowing brightly.

Now I don’t know all the afflictions this young man faced, but I’m pretty sure that this iPhone was part of his problem. Electronic devices can function exactly like a habit-forming drug. They are an escape from reality, a way of pushing away pain or boredom. The brain comes to depend on them. They take over the mind just as surely as any chemical or opiate.

JIM PAYNE

Sandpoint

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