> I have no doubt that some people are addicted to their phones...but just as some people are addicted to Siracha sauce

I don't think _anyone_ is addicted to sriracha in the same way people are addicted to their personal devices. Downplaying this problem is the last thing that should be done.

Via Wikipedia:

Addiction is a brain disorder characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences.[8] Despite the involvement of a number of psychosocial factors, a biological process – one which is induced by repeated exposure to an addictive stimulus – is the core pathology that drives the development and maintenance of an addiction.[1][9] The two properties that characterize all addictive stimuli are that they are reinforcing (i.e., they increase the likelihood that a person will seek repeated exposure to them) and intrinsically rewarding (i.e., they are perceived as being inherently positive, desirable, and pleasurable).

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And now go and google Sriracha addiction

The implications of a device and connectivity addiction are more grave than that of a Sriracha addiction - regardless of what the definition of addiction are.

I'm way more addicted to hot sauce than I am to any electronics and I spend all day on electronics.

Ah, but without the 24x7 hype cycle, the media cannot feed addiction to media.

Bingo! You win Hackernews!