iPhone Elbow

You know you have a serious iPhone addiction when you start developing “iPhone elbow”, a nagging twitch or cramp in the elbow due to holding the iPhone in the same position for extended periods of time. That’s only one of the symptoms I experience from repetitive iPhone use. I also experience “thigh buzz”, a random buzzing sensation on the thigh of my left front pocket area, where I usually store my iPhone when I’m not feeding my iPhone elbow condition. I keep my iPhone on “vibrate” to reduce bystander annoyance, and over time my upper left thigh has developed an overactive iPhone vibration alert, even when the phone isn’t in my pocket.

Of course, this is all insanely and embarrassingly ridiculous, but many people with iPhone’s probably can relate. I have a friend who is addicted to iPhone applications (like this guy). His goal is to fill up his iPhone with as many pages of apps as possible, even though I’m sure he’ll never use 99.9 percent of them.

When I “watch” tv, I usually play with my iPhone. It’s mostly senseless. How many times do I need to check my email or see if there is a new post on crooksandliars.com, anyway?

Not all iPhone addictions are bad. I’m a photography nut. I usually like to photograph with my digital SLR. When I got that it changed my life. I’ve been snapping away like a fiend ever since. But lately, I have been addicted to iPhone photos. I have been snapping away on my iPhone instead of my SLR. Truth be told, iPhone’s take surprisingly good pictures. I say “surprising” because you never really know quite what you are going to get, but the results are usually rewarding. Using the iPhone camera is kind of like a game or sport. It’s a good and different excercise in photography.

I remember one of my brother’s ridiculing me when I bought my iPhone, “so you gave into the hype, huh?”. But he was quite wrong. The iPhone goes far beyond the hype. It is one piece if technology that never ceases to amaze me, even with the side effects of iPhone elbow and thigh buzz.