You hear this every time you're around a family member or any adult, "You kids are all addicted to your iPhones!" Sometimes you have the energy to dispute the claims, but most of the time, you just shrug it off without even looking up from your screen. We're all guilty of spending a little too much time on our phones, aimlessly scrolling through Instagram to pass the time or getting yelled at by our parents because we're not listening to them.
1. You bring a charger with you everywhere.
You can't risk your phone dying when you're out, how else will you update your Snap story? The worst kind of people are the ones who don't have a car charger when you're on 20 percent with another hour in the trip.
2. It's the first thing you look for in the morning.
Not just because your alarm is set from your phone but also because you have to find out everything you missed while you were sleeping.
3. Sometimes you text someone in the same room as you.
Most of the time it's because you're talking about something you don't want everyone around you to hear, but if it's just because you're too lazy to speak, you may have a problem.
4. You despise teachers who strictly enforce a no phone/laptop rule.
The best part of the day is online shopping in class. How dare you take that away from me! Everyone knows the most important things happen when you're in a class that you can't use your phone in.
5. When you get bored you scroll through the same newsfeed five times.
Maybe it's because the first three times you weren't really paying attention to what you were reading, but either way it helps to pass the time.
6. You constantly run out of storage because of all the apps, pictures and text messages.
You absolutely need all of them and can't delete any. Also you're just too lazy to do it.
7. Sometimes you write in group chats just so you have a reason to be on your phone.
You don't have anything important to say, you just feel the need to say something. Nothing wrong with wanting to stay in constant contact with people, right?
8. You're always the first person to know about things.
You keep constant tabs on group chats, Snapchat stories and Facebook events, so you're the one in charge of keeping your friends up to date on everything that's happening.
9. You always have at least one earbud in.
Maybe you're listening to music, maybe you're waiting for an important call or maybe it's just there because you forgot to take it out. The world will never know.
10. You have chargers placed all around your room/house.
This is mostly just a convenience thing, but it also helps with not having to part from your phone while it's charging.
11. You check for notifications multiple times in a two minute span when you know you haven't gotten any.
You feel phantom vibrations or think you hear your ringtone. Sometimes you just check it because you don't know what else to do. When you have no notifications, you start to wonder if something is wrong with your phone.
12. You're constantly asking people to repeat what they said because you were on your phone.
Multitasking is hard so you know if I'm on my phone, I'm only sort of listening to your story. By the time you finish telling it, I probably already directed all my attention to my phone. It's not personal, I'm really interested in what you have to say.
13. You use apps like BuzzFeed and Facebook as legitimate sources of news.
Sometimes you'll even browse through the News app to feel especially cultured.
14. When you actually have to study or do work, your phone can't be anywhere near you.
If you want to accomplish anything, you have two options: turning it off or throwing it to the farthest corner of your room so you aren't tempted to check it every 15 seconds.
15. Every time you misplace your phone, you have a mini heart attack.
A piece of you dies every time you think you've lost your phone, just to find it was in your pocket the whole time.
I used to get annoyed when my family members would ask me if I could part from my phone for a minute. Now it's clear the answer is no, I cannot. I'm addicted to my phone and I'm not alone. We are a generation of instant updates and using video chat as a source of face to face communication. Technology has its benefits for sure and most of us could not survive without it. But every once in awhile, it's important to disconnect a little and actually live in the moment, not just through a screen.
