I am (was?) definitely addicted to my phone; I would check it every 15 minutes in hopes of seeing new content or notifications. I would aimlessly scroll through short videos, my Mastodon timeline or Reddit. I'm someone who can't let a notification badge just sit there, I have to clear them all.
Lately I've been offline for a bit more than usual.
Like the flick of a switch, my addiction to my phone has been replaced by resentment towards it. Out of nowhere I feel like my phone is a burden, something that I have to carry around with me because it does so much for me. But now, every time I pick it up, I feel like I'm wasting my time. Every time I get a notification I sigh and think "what's going to waste my time now?". Even messaging apps feel like a chore, because digital communication is so impersonal and hardly ever meaningful or important.
My phone became a source of frustration and anger.
This might be a phase, or a symptom of something else entirely, but I can't complain while it lasts. I hope it lasts forever though, because I feel like I'm finally free from the incessant need to check my phone.
If this holds, my phone will become a tool rather than a distraction. I will be less... available to people though. But I'm sure it will all be alright. I will still be reachable, but I won't be checking my phone all the time.