iPhone Addiction - Is Your Habit Unhealthy?

We live in a world of fast vanilla lattes and easy fixes, so it's not surprising that the term "addiction" has become a part of our daily vocabulary. We don't call them BlackBerries, we call them "CrackBerries." So it's no wonder we often cross the line from serious to ridiculous when we talk about our addictions.

But where exactly is this line, and are "small" addictions - like supposed addictions to our gadgets - really addictions at all, or just well-ingrained habits that we're too lazy to ditch? And can an iPhone "addiction" be legitimate?

If so, whose fault is it?

The Willingly Hooked

As if enough questions aren't aroused by this topic, let's start with another interesting idea: if you're willingly "hooked" to your iPhone, are you really addicted?

Some people consider themselves willingly hooked, as this article notes. As it turns out, a survey taken by a Stanford class found that about a third of them were hooked, while a large majority of around three-fourths said their iPhones made them happier. More than a third of the respondents said they'd heard people who were concerned about using their iPhones too much.

"One of the most striking things we saw in the interviews was just how identified people were with their iPhone," said Professor Tanya Luhrmann, whose class oversaw the study. "It was not so much with the object itself, but it had so much personal information that it became a kind of extension of the mind and a means to have a social life. It just kind of captured part of their identity."

With some 75 of respondents saying they'd fallen asleep with their iPhones in their bed, one has to wonder exactly how far this affinity may go.

What Counts as an Addiction?

There are a number of ways that you might believe a true-blue addiction is forming, including:

• Going through withdrawal when you take away the stimulus. This is a legitimate occurrence in the medical world as it applies to drugs, including alcohol, but in the gadget world, it can often be used as hyperbole, similar to the word "addiction" itself. An indication of an addiction is the power of the symptoms that occur during withdrawal of the stimulus.
  
• Losing normal life judgment. Many people who are addicted to drugs will often do things they normally wouldn't do in order to keep their addiction going. This can occur in a milder form for "milder" addictions, including possibly the iPhone.

By some definition of the above "symptoms" of an addiction, being hooked to one's iPhone might classify as a mild addiction. It's clear, however, that except in extreme cases, many "addictions" are simply a way of exaggerating the strength of the habit might be. Using your iPhone a lot because it's convenient is not the same thing as having an addiction.

Testing Yourself for an iPhone Addiction

If you think you might be addicted to your iPhone, try going a day without using it at all. The "withdrawal" you experience can help indicate how strong your dependence on the iPhone has become. If you find yourself wishing you could whip out the iPhone and Google something a few times throughout the day, you might have a strong affinity for the gadget, but aren't truly dependent.

If your "withdrawal" is a little more severe, you might be wise to cut back on your iPhone usage. In extreme cases, you should seek professional help - but this is true in any case of true dependence to an object or stimulus.

Our estimation? The iPhone can become a strong habit, but if it makes your life better, it's probably not worst "addiction" out there.