Comment by echelon

100%.

> All of those hours have to come at the expense of other activities.

It all adds up. Five minutes here, thirty minutes there. It all has to come from something.

The smartphone usage takes away in subtle ways too. Time spent idle is time that the brain can subconsciously solve things and work out interdependencies and relationships. If you put that time on YouTube, Reddit, whatever, then your brain is fully consumed with the dopamine drip.

Smartphones have added a tremendous amount of value to society, but it hasn't been without cost.