And similar to a new relationship with a romantic partner, we go through a honeymoon phase with the companion we carry everywhere in our pocket. We feel like we must check our e-mail every five minutes in between refreshing our Twitter feed and shooting out a quick text message. We just can't be separated from our beloved handset, much less the dreamy man or woman we hooked up with after a few tequila shots last week.  But as with relationships, we don't have to be so clingy, and we do have the option to set boundaries.  When I'm with a group of friends at a bar, for example, I make it a habit to switch my iPhone to "airplane mode" to disable it from receiving phone calls, text messages or e-mails. This is one of many small steps I take to control the technology in my life so I can consume it in moderation and live healthily.  It's kind of like a smoker who regulates the number of cigarettes he puffs each day. If a smoker can limit his intake of a very addictive drug, why can't we control our compulsive need to whip out our smartphones?  For some strange reason, with technology we love to play the victim -- and that's nothing new.  Fear of new technology seems engrained in human nature, because it goes way back. In 1876, The New York Times made a bold prediction: The advent of the telephone would cause people to stop going to church.  "Thus the telephone, by bringing music and minister into every home, will empty the concert-halls and the churches," the newspaper claimed.  Fast forward to today, and lo and behold: In the United States, practically every citizen owns a phone, and yet 40% of Americans still attend church, and there are 335,000 religious congregations throughout the country. Clearly, we weren't victims to the telephone, even though some feared we would be when the technology was first introduced.
If you're sick of your friend flicking around with his iPhone at dinner, tell him to shut the damn thing off and return to reality.It's really that simple. I guarantee that most people with even the