I (f17) am seriously addicted to my phone. I came to this realization following an incident where I was so engrossed in it (while driving) that I failed to notice that I’d blown right by a school bus that had its stop signs deployed. By some miracle, no one was hurt, but I still shudder when I think of how badly that could’ve turned out.
I was charged with reckless driving following that incident and was recently sentenced to 30 days in juvie, to be served when school lets out for summer break. And today is the last day of the school year. Sadly, I know I have no one to blame for my current situation but myself.
At least this incident woke me up to the fact that my phone addiction has gotten out of control. I wish I could just get rid of the thing, but they’re kind of a necessity nowadays. So what can I do to get my addiction under control since quitting cold turkey isn’t a realistic option?
Helping Yourself Now
- Thank you for reaching out to Teen Central. We’re really glad to hear that everyone made it through this incident safely. Not everyone gets that chance.
- It sounds like you’re taking responsibility and accepting and serving the time you were given. Good for you.
Moving Forward
- Have you tried turning your ringer off your phone while you’re driving and setting it an a place not easily accessible to you while you’re on the road? You can set up automatic responses that will alert callers to the fact that you’re driving and can’t respond at that moment.
- You may want to set boundaries with others’ as to what times you will/ won’t be reading/ responding to calls. For example, “between 8 and 9 am, I’ll be driving to school so please don’t call me then”. Get your friends and family involved in the effort to keep everyone safe.
- While you don’t want to continue to feel guilty over the incident, it’s important to remember the lessons you learned from it- it may save your/ someone else’s life. Great job seeking help!
