Addicted to my phone

Does anyone else grab the phone to check email before they even get out of bed? I do. My phone is my alarm, so it's the first thing I grab anyway - yay snooze! - but it goes beyond that. I check my email and clear my morning inbox, run AppBrain to check for any app updates, and read my daily Bible verses before my eyes are even fully open. I also like to check the "Hot Today" list on AppBrain to see if there's anything new I want to install. When I finally roll out of bed, I've probably spent 5-10 minutes on my phone already.

It seems to me this is probably the sign of an addiction.

In the car, I have a mount for my phone, and I use it as sort of a heads-up display. I DON'T text and drive, or check emails while the car is in motion, but I freely admit that when I'm at a stoplight and know I'll be there a few minutes, I'll do a quick check.

At work, my phone sits right in front of me all day. Partially because that's when I charge it, and I like to keep an eye on it to make sure it's unplugged when the battery is full, but I won't kid myself - I'm doing it because I like to check my phone. I have no idea how many times I day I check AppBrain (that, in and of itself, is an addiction). I keep an eye on the notifications bar to tell me when I have new emails or texts. And then I go on my computer to respond to said emails, although I'll text back from the phone.

My calendar is also on my phone, and is the only widget I use. It has both my personal appointments as well as my work calendar, so I'm checking it constantly to make sure I don't miss an interview, or to ensure I get to where I need to go after work.

When it's not sitting on my desk at work, my phone is usually in my pocket. Going potty? Stick the phone in the pocket. Going out to lunch? Pocket. Walking around the house? Pocket. Although at home, if I'm sitting on the couch, I will put it on the coffee table in easy reach.

In short, I have a serious phone addiction problem. I get anxiety if I don't have it where I can get my hands on it. My entire life, it seems, it organized and controlled from my phone. I cut back a while ago on checking work emails on my phone since my husband was tired of me constantly doing it, but at the same time, I've just transitioned to doing other things in place of it. I should probably cut down, but even the thought makes me twitchy. What if there's a new app I must try! What if there's an update that brings unicorns and rainbows to my dull world? What if someone sends me a link to a funny video?!

Yeah. I know. It's bad. But while I recognize the problem, I'm not sure I'm ready yet to do anything about it. After all, I still have a lot of levels of Angry Birds left to 3-star...

How about you? Are you addicted to your phone? I'd love to hear some other examples and ways you beat the addiction, or, alternatively, why you refuse to give up the habit!