The smartphone was once a humble device, a simple tool for making calls, sending messages, and, if you were feeling adventurous, playing Snake. Today, it is nothing short of an overlord, a cunningly designed, AI-powered dictator that knows more about us than we know about ourselves. And the worst part? We willingly serve it, like underpaid interns in a corporate empire where the CEO is a pocket-sized rectangle with an unlimited data plan.

It wasn’t always like this. There was a time when we, humans, held the power. We decided what to read, what to watch, and when to sleep. But then, somewhere between the invention of predictive text and the rise of Instagram reels, the roles reversed. Our phones started making those decisions for us, and we, like obedient disciples, accepted our fate. Now, we don’t just use our phones; we exist through them.

Attention Spans Are Dying. AI is Thriving: Take a moment to consider the state of modern communication. Once upon a time, conversations required effort, words were carefully chosen, pauses were meaningful, and emotions were conveyed through expressions rather than emojis. Now, your phone suggests replies before you even have a chance to think. If someone texts “Happy birthday,” your device offers three automated responses: “Thank you!”, “Thanks a lot!”, and the ever-enthusiastic “Thanks!!!” You, the owner of a fully functional brain, simply have to tap. And that’s if you even bother responding; AI is already working on systems that can carry out entire conversations on your behalf, so you might soon outsource your friendships entirely.

We like to believe that we are intelligent, that we are the masters of our technology. But let’s not fool ourselves. If your phone buzzes right now, will you ignore it? Of course not. It could be a message, a notification, a breaking news alert, or an important update about a celebrity’s dog. Whatever it........

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