W: Hi, John, why haven't you answered my text messages lately?
M: Oh, I didn't know you had sent any. I turned off my phone almost a week ago and haven't turned it back on since then.
W: Why would you do something like that, when our phones make our lives so much more convenient?
M: Well, I downloaded an APP that recorded how much time I spent on my phone. And I was shocked to realize I was using my phone an average of 8 hours a day, and on my worst day, I used it for 12 hours.
W: Were you addicted to mobile phone games? I had a friend who was, and he sometimes played them all day and into the night.
M: No, my problem was I was spending too much time on social media, messaging friends and commenting on other people's posts.
W: I do all of that too, as well as shopping online and paying for everything with my phone. That is really why I don't see how anyone could live without a mobile phone. How do you buy things or communicate with your friends?
M: Since I stopped using my phone, I go to physical stores and pay in cash. I've actually met friends for meals at cafés and restaurants.
W: That's great for you, but my friends and family don't live in this city, so we can't see each other often, and I don't have any choice but to chat with them online.