The Age of Autistic Gadget Addicts

Do you know anyone who's not a gadget addict? By that I mean not even have any inclination to play, press every button, dissect and go into every single nook & cranny of a simple little CDMA phone, TV or DVD player. Not easy to find such a person, is it?

I've always been communication addict, I was one of the first Blackberry client in the city (heck, might even be one of the first 20 clients in the country), way before most people even considered Blackberry. No, I didn't use it for prestige, obviously, but I found out my phone bill came down tremendously after using it. And so I continued upgrading my models.

By now, a lot of people I know have adopted a Blackberry and personalizing my device has become much easier. One thing I resent about Blackberry is the theme. I don't need a frilly theme, in fact, I hate the pinkest, cutest, most beautiful theme that attracted my eyes the first time, because they're not convenient. Still, I got addicted to those sites offering free themes. Most of them are OK and usable but I couldn't stop searching when I found a few I like and keep on my device.

The first few times I browsed, I didn't realize I used up the rest of my work hours just for themes. So I tried to outsmart myself and block the last quarter of my Fridays to play and search for themes, they're off limits on other times. I still fall into the addiction if I accidentally search outside of Fridays, but it got me to learn about myself. I firmly resist anything addictive, from gadget to simply munchies, if I don't take the first step. Once I start, I can't stop.

Reflecting how life was, I remember about a third of my grade school mates didn't have a home phone. Can you believe how fast technology advances? Nowadays it's even hard to get domestic helps who don't own a cellphone. Even my mom is in the brink of the addiction, if only she has more time and doesn't need her reading glasses to play with her device.

I wonder if gadget addiction is harmless. In the States, debates on whether dieting and weight obsession can be considered an addiction. In the world that we live in, sex, alcohol and drugs aren't the only 'addiction' worth talking to our young kids about. We gotta be prepared to talk to our kids about gadget addiction by the time they graduate grade school.

Betty Ford organized her alcohol rehab clinic, who knows, Barack Obama might as well sponsor gadget addiction awareness and rehab. Be careful with those things you claim are necessities in life!