The Progressive Work Thing Commercial – Phone Addiction Is Real

Progressive has a very relatable commercial about something we’ve all experienced at some point in our lives: Phone addiction! Their playful take on it centers around a family at the dinner table and everyone but the father is on a device. Take a look, then scroll down to find out more about the idea behind the ad…

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Of course Jamie ruins the family bonding time by offering a tidbit of info about ground turkey that no one wanted to know, to which the dad responds by quickly dissolving the no-phone rule. But this display is a great commercial because phone addiction has become so common. I suffer from it and basically everyone I know does, too. On their website, Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous says:

There is widespread consensus from both researchers and clinicians that the problematic and compulsive overuse of the internet, digital media, and mobile devices has been rising over the past two decades, and that the prevalence of this behavioral addiction is associated with a variety of mental, emotional, physical, interpersonal, and professional problems.Perhaps most significantly, the dopamine releases triggered by internet and technology addiction have been shown to cause structural changes in the brain very similar to the changes experienced in people with alcohol or drug addictions.

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Structural changes is what stands out the most to me. The brain (and I’ve heard the eyes can do this, too) actually changes shape based on the addictions we have. That’s wild. The origins of this addiction (or how to manipulate it) is depicted well in the movie The Social Dilemma. In regards to social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc) influence, the film is described on its website like this: Never before have a handful of tech designers had such control over the way billions of us think, act, and live our lives.

Scary stuff. Phones, tablets, websites, social media, all are designed to keep us coming back. I’m a victim of it and I succumb to it all the time. I’m sure most of us do, just like the family at the dinner table in the Progressive commercial. I rarely go anywhere without my phone and I bet it would be easier to find a needle in a haystack than to find someone without their phone, even at the dinner table! I hope the trend can change but I have serious doubts. In fact, I’m not even sure it’s just a trend. It’s a lifestyle that we’ve all grown accustomed to and… addicted to.

But that Jamie? He’s funny. Good commercial!

-Out of the Wilderness