ADDICTION

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 on 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 executive 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 pegs 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 comparative 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 throne (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 to sit comfortably.