[dizlexic]

Spoken like someone who hasn't really done drugs.

[airstrafer]

I get what you’re saying but phone addiction has absolutely ruined people’s lives.

[jb1991]

Numerous studies have supported this thesis, that phone addiction is identical to a chemical addiction.

[lucumo]

Which studies?

The claim is usually made without specific citations. The few studies I'm aware of show correlation between mental health issues and phone use, but don't show which way the causation runs. It's just as plausible that mental health causes more phone use, yet these message boards always like to blame the phone for the mental health issues.

[gyomu]

Can you share studies that show they’re “identical”?

You’re not going to overdose from using your phone too much, or die from withdrawal if you suddenly stop using your phone, so that seems like a stretch.

[acessoproibido]

5% of all deaths worldwide can be attributed to alcohol.

Phone addiction is not identical. In some aspects its similar but in most others not.

[philipallstar]

Well, in terms of driving, talking on a hands free phone might be worse for your driving than being over the limit[0]. And that's from pure addiction and distraction; there are no exogenous chemicals physically altering you.

[0] https://www.trl.co.uk/uploads/trl/documents/TRL547.pdf

[jb1991]

> national safety organizations estimate that cell phone use is a factor in approximately 23% of all car accidents, contributing to millions of crashes nationwide

U.S. Government info: https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

[skybrian]

What’s an example of a study that you think is convincing?