Addiction is a serious issue in this nation. Addiction comes in many forms. The most commonly recognized form of addiction is substance abuse, alcoholism, gambling and smoking, but addiction comes in many forms. I (like most people) have had friends, family, and/or co-workers who have struggled with addictions.
I don’t drink or smoke. It could potentially be argued that caffeine may border as an addiction, but it is difficult to truly understand addiction unless it has been personally experienced. It has been described as an overwhelming pull or desire which is all-consuming. With that said….I may be an addict. I believe I may be addicted to Angry Birds.
Whenever there is a free moment, I find myself on the iPhone in a quest to locate the Golden Eggs and obtain 3 stars to advance to the next level. The iPhone was an incredible technological invention that brought great value. Although the iPhone provides various multi-media features, from a business perspective it increases an executives ability to communicate via several methods, it provides immediate access to reports, it simply is a powerful tool to increase the efficiencies of the average business person. For me…..the iPhone is most leveraged for my battle with the green pigs in Angry Birds.
Is Angry Birds a problem? I did not think so. Although I may think about Angry Birds at times, it has never been played during business hours. However it has been played numerous times while watching television with my wife – which is what probably prompted her threats of an intervention. It is often said that addicts attempt to deflect self-reflection of their problem with absurd justifications. This was brought to my attention once as I attempted to explain the educational relevance of Angry Birds.
Angry Birds use of a slingshot to propel the bird through the air to strategically knock down barriers and destroy the green pigs, requires deep thought and the leveraging/refining of geometry skills to successfully calculate the appropriate arcs and angles. Needless to say, this artfully crafted explanation was used as Exhibit A for the claim that a problem may exist. To truly determine if Angry Birds was becoming an issue in my life and/or bordering on an addiction, I decided to conduct a comparison analysis.
Several friends and peers also enjoy the recreational activity of Angry Birds. Therefore, through a series of questions I was able to determine how my behavior compares. I am happy to report that an Angry Birds addiction does not currently exist (with me at least). Several of the answers that I received from friends/peers were alarming. For example, one always has Angry Birds open on his phone while he drives so during the stop lights he can quickly play through a level. This thought had never previously passed through my mind – which means that although I may not have a problem, he may.
The most alarming response was the friend who takes his phone with him to the restroom. As he put it, it is a quiet environment and gives him the opportunity to run through several levels in an attempt to hit a new high score. I asked if playing kept him in the restroom longer than the biological need required, he defensively responded that it is no different than people who read books. When I asked why he was so defensive; he disclosed that he was instructed by his doctor not to take Angry Birds with him to the restroom any longer. It appears that the prolonged period of time sitting on the thrown (when no longer necessary) resulted in a horrible case of hemorrhoids.
In the end………it was determined that although I enjoy Angry Birds, it is not an addiction. Unfortunately, I am not sure that I can say the same for the few friends that I interviewed – especially when it results in a doctor’s appointment and the inability sit comfortably.
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David – who has written 153 posts on .
Family and business are a difficult balance, with a ‘special needs’child and one in college, realizing I’m blessed, a good pair of wingtips and a cup of Starbucks is all it takes...
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s raelly thinking at a high level
I like that you guys thought of this i think that a lot of people are not thinking right doing drugs then there is the video games i mean don’t make them your life get out and meet people.
Addiction is a huge problem in the U.S., if not the world. It can be too easy to get distracted and wrapped up in things that have no relevant meaning or benefit to our lives and quickly lose track or reality. The end result can have only bad results and everyday it seems like there is something new to be addicted to.
This is never going to end, so I think it is important rather than to avoid addictive things, we should learn to control addiction and limit ourselves to time wasting activities.
Addiction has many forms like what you’ve mentioned and sometimes people tend to deny that they are already addicted. Your article is sort of a reflection for me if I’m also already addicted to Angry Birds. The first time I played it, I just couldn’t stop. I wanted to finish everything in one sitting because of the thought that it was just a simple and easy game. But I was wrong. It wasn’t easy and consumes precious time. Good for us that we are not yet addicted because I would never ever thought of bringing my phone to the restroom just to play and finish the stages. That’s already too much.