Nico M.Jan 4, 2024
Jeff Jarvis

"There is no standard diagnosis for ‘phone addiction’," says the Guardian. Yeah, because it doesn't fucking exist. Bullshit #MoralPanic.

Everyone is on their phones. But is it really phone addiction we’re experiencing? https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2024/jan/03/what-is-phone-addiction-definition-science-debate?CMP=share_btn_tw

Everyone is on their phones. But is it really phone addiction we’re experiencing?

There is no standard diagnosis for ‘phone addiction’, and a debate rages about whether there should be. But will medicalizing a behavior help or harm those suffering from it?

The Guardian
Jan 3, 2024 at 8:00pmWeb
Show threadJeff JarvisJan 3, 2024
It's #MoralPanic Day at the Guardian. More:
Beware the ‘botshit’: why generative AI is such a real and imminent threat to the way we live
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/03/botshit-generative-ai-imminent-threat-democracy
Beware the ‘botshit’: why generative AI is such a real and imminent threat to the way we live

Unless checks are put in place, citizens and voters may soon face AI-generated content that bears no relation to reality, says author André Spicer

The Guardian
Show threadScott JensonJan 3, 2024

@jeffjarvis I'm totally with you on the #MoralPanic silliness. But I studied phone over usage for Google and there is *clearly* a problem with people being sucked into their phones and wasting far too much time (mostly due to manipulative app designs) People feel horrible about wasted time and would like alternatives.

But this goes beyond just scrolling, people obsess over notifications, not wanting to miss the chance to reply in time. Friendships have been lost over is (remarkably)

Show threadJeff JarvisJan 3, 2024
@scottjenson
"Wasting time" is your value judgment. The same has been said of novels, books, newspapers, television, music....
Show threadChris JohnsonJan 3, 2024
@jeffjarvis @scottjenson And often what I’m doing when I’m staring at my phone is reading novels, books, newspapers…
Show threadJeff JarvisJan 3, 2024
@captainslim @scottjenson
Yes, or talking with actual PEOPLE.
Show threadScott JensonJan 3, 2024

@jeffjarvis I'm a UX professional, its my job to avoid personal judgement. These comments came from actual users, reflecting deep pain and frustration. They'd like ways to deal with this. It doesn't help that many apps (especially social apps) explicitly design their apps to make them more addictive (There are entire books written on this addictive style of design)

Please don't think I'm disagreeing with you. The moral panic in the press is stupid. Just saying there is nuance here.

Show threadEmelia 👸🏻Jan 3, 2024
@jeffjarvis we term a lot of things these days as addiction, when there's almost certainly no clinical diagnosis for it. Behaviours can become problematic and disruptive of course, if not in moderation, but that's different to addiction as far as I know.
Show threadhwestiiiJan 3, 2024
@jeffjarvis too easy to communicate. addicted to social interaction
Show threadhwestiiiJan 3, 2024
@jeffjarvis used to be the only chance a member of the general public had a chance at so@wide an audience was getting in the air at a call in radio show or having a letter to the editor published. the world now can be fully connected in the true graph theory sense. Previously inconceivable.
Show threadKilroy_Was_HereJan 3, 2024

@jeffjarvis

Before phones it was paperbacks and newspapers that lots of people looked at out in public when they didn't have anything else to do.

And nobody gave anybody shit for reading a paper or a book all the time. If they did they were nosy assholes to begin with.

This article is stupid, the idea that you can be addicted to a phone is stupid, it's all stupid.