For experimental reasons personal to myself, I recently gave up my smartphone and swapped it for a lightweight, snake-playing, polyphonic-ringing, text message (SMS) sending, Nokia relic. It was great. I mean, for the first time in a while, the Riddler had no power over me, and the Unobadger was free to write again.

The Waiting Room

I recently sat in line at one of the public government institutions. Due to the fact that my cell phone was no longer a source of entertainment, I had the ideal predisposition: to do nothing BUT OBSERVE.

What I observed that day, I will do my best to describe so as not to miss any facts. Everyone was dead quiet. No one made eye contact, except for the occasional awareness to prevent anyone from entering their personal space. Faces pointed down to their small screens in their hands. Some of the people had earphones to better enjoy the audio with their visual stimulation. Others scrolled through sensational news article after sensational news article. Then there was a boy next to me who instinctively swiped from one app to another, as if he were mindless in his decisions.

This made me think of the 1995 film Batman Forever, and especially the villain: The Riddler.

The Riddler

In Batman Forever (1995), the Riddler, played by Jim Carrey, uses a device called “the Box” to drain the intelligence and thoughts of its victims, leaving them brainless and under his control. This device parallels the way modern technology, especially smartphones and social media, draws us in and manipulates our attention. Just as the Riddler exploits his victims’ vulnerabilities, today’s digital platforms shape our behavior by controlling what we see, think, and feel.

Much like the Riddler’s plan to make Gotham’s citizens dependent on him, our constant interaction with technology can strip away our sense of individuality and free will. The algorithms behind social media feed us a never-ending stream of information, subtly influencing our choices and actions. Ultimately, we risk surrendering control over our minds to a powerful, invisible force—whether it’s a villain or a digital device.

The Stats

On average, people spend 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phones each day. In the U.S., teenagers spend up to 6 hours on average on their phones a day, and the trend is rapidly rising. What is more concerning is that 58% of teenagers feel addicted to their smartphones and check them 50 to 100 times a day.

The Toll

For most of us, the toll of information overload will probably be some mild radiation exposure and possibly an increased risk of malignancy due to this. For most of us, we will surrender our personal information and even our darkest secrets to the highest bidder. We will become depressed and lonely due to envy of the picturesque lifestyle of others, and we will neglect our basic desire for true human communication. That is all fine and well if it is adults voluntarily surrendering our minds for a cheap trick, but what happens when our children become victims of this?

With the rates of teenage suicide and depression sharply rising, shouldn’t we have a responsibility to protect them?

The Possible Solution

The good news is that, for most of us, we still live in a democratic society, and we have the responsibility to elect a just government. Is it not time for voters to be more actively involved in the election and decision-making process? What does that mean for you and me? The answer is simple: Ask your representative about their thoughts on restricting social media and fast information to kids and teenagers. One day, they will thank us.