Smartphone Addiction

I was sitting on the subway yesterday when I glanced up from my book and noticed something striking: every single person in my line of sight was absorbed in their phone, beautifully lined up in a picture-perfect row of devices. While this scene has become commonplace, something about this particular moment stopped me. It wasn’t just the ubiquity of screens but what this tableau revealed about our evolving relationship with attention itself. Frustratingly, I didn’t have my camera with me.

I’ve been contemplating the nature of cognitive space—specifically, how our contemporary patterns of engagement have transformed our relationship with unstructured thinking time. Many of us instinctively reach for our devices at the first hint of unoccupied moments, filling potential mental openness with scrolling, consumption, and external stimulation. This pattern suggests a collective shift in how we perceive the value of simply being alone with our thoughts.

Consider experimenting with a simple practice during your next outing: rather than engaging with your phone, intentionally observe your surroundings. For those seeking a more immersive experience, you might even try leaving your device at home entirely. You may notice how many people around you remain deeply engaged with digital content rather than experiencing the immediate environment.