Central Texas, Are We Addicted to Our Phones? The Answer Is Yes

Today was not a good day.

We all live and die by our phones, and I'm no exception. I use it to work, relax, keep in touch, and generally have my phone near me 24/7. All afternoon, I kept trying to make a phone call, send a text, or google something, then I remembered what happened.

This morning, I took my phone off the charger, tucked it inside my backpack, and headed to work. Shortly afterwards, I realized that it was missing. I looked in the car, thinking it had somehow slipped out of the bag and went under the seat. No dice.

I sent my husband a Facebook message, asking him if he had seen it. I felt certain I had dropped the phone in the hallway, or possibly in the garage. When he responded that he found it in the driveway (see picture below), and told me I had apparently driven over it, I felt sick. I still can't believe I did that!

Tamme Taylor, Townsquare Media, Canva

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The only good news: I have phone insurance, so a new device won't give me 24 months' worth of increased payments on our bill. The deductible cost still wasn't in the budget this month!

Phone Addiction Statistics

Phone addiction is a real thing. There are even articles giving advice on how to stay off your phone while you're at work!

According to reviews.org, 47% of people consider themselves 'addicted' to their phones. On average, we check our phones every four minutes. We really spend a lot of time with our cellular devices! 53% of Americans say that they have never gone longer than 24 hours without their cell phone.

There is even a cell phone addiction treatment camp for teenagers in Texas.

Maybe we should all take a break and disconnect for a little while. Just don't run over your phone in the driveway!

What If Smartphones Had Been Around When This Show Began?

Here's your chance to live just like Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe, and Ross!

This 'Friends'-themed townhouse in Houston was listed on Airbnb and just hit the real estate market. Diana Hu, an agent at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in Houston, said this is the first time in 16 years that she's listed a home with a pop culture theme, according to the Today show.

The living room and kitchen will be familiar to 'Friends' fans as you will see from the real estate photos. At the top of the stairs, you’ll see a foosball table that looks a lot like the one in Joey and Chandler's apartment, surrounded by a comfy couch.

The three-story house also has a two-car garage with a Tesla charger. It's located at 1706 Bevis Street in Houston, and the asking price is $330,000.

Shall we take a look around, friends?

The Most Dangerous City in Texas for 2022 May Surprise You

According to FBI statistics, Texas had 438 violent crimes and 2,562 property crimes per 100,000 residents as of this year. For every 100,000 residents, there are 224 police officers statewide.

Crime rates are expressed as the number of incidents per 100,000 people.

Here are the ten most dangerous cities in Texas for 2022, according to World Population Review.

Blue Bell Ice Cream On The List of Top 15 Brands Nationwide

Blue Bell is the official ice cream of Texas, and my personal favorite. According to a new list of the 15 best brands of ice cream nationwide, Blue Bell was ranked in the middle.

In addition to ingredients, texture, and variety, Tasting Table used Influenster and other site reviews as part of its ranking process.

Scroll on to find out how Blue Bell compared to the number one ice cream, and how all 15 on the list were judged.