Over the last three weeks, I have been going to bed earlier, waking up earlier, and making an effort to look at my phone last in my morning routine. Phone addiction has crept up on me in a way I never thought possible over the last three or so years. It's incredible the speed at which it has gone from a utility to a compulsion. I have enjoyed challenging myself on phone downtime and have begun playing with certain settings that assist with "locking" the phone. I believe it will be a long, winding road to an eventual set of tools or one good tool that will drive a full lockdown on the device or something more advanced than the iPhone settings available.

My own battle with phone downtime will certainly be an uphill battle. And it makes me think a lot about younger people, especially those just being born, and what those battles are going to look like. At what point will intervention be required? Will we have sad early life phone rehabs for kids that get sucked in too early? Will there be such a thing as "Phone Sober"? It also makes you consider certain theories about "The Merge," a la Ridley Scott's *Terminator*. What will the next form factor and delivery system truly look like? With developments like this one from Elon's Neuralink, it's easy to see a future (or easier) where the cyborg timeline is the most realistic one. Maybe one day we'll all look back on early phone addictions, smartphone finger, and the early Neuralink tests as the caveman interacting with fire. We'll be sitting in our sterile command centers laughing at visualizations of this as the beginning of the merge. All a possibility as far as I am concerned.

As you begin to think about what the 1000-year timeline for "the Merge" might look like, it's fun imagining which of our current technological interactions might be key early evolutionary moments. Bill Gates' "A computer on every desk and in every home" (1980), the iPhone (2008), Apple Watch (2015), Oculus VR (2016), Neuralink's first implant (2023).

Even at that extremely high level, you can begin to visualize this merger. If it were a flip book, we'd only be about 5 pages in with about 20 or so to go. In middle school, when you made one of these flip books, I would say we're about at the point where you need to spend 5-10 pages getting a bit more detailed, but you've certainly shown the viewer the direction this story is going.

Again, all I'm worried about right now is my own phone screen time because, for the time being, it's important for me to separate real-world time and digital time. Maybe future form factors will solve this, make it more seamless. Maybe we'll evolve. For now, though, I get a bit of a headache and feel disconnected when I'm "in it" too long, and feel happier when I drive some separation.

NM

P.S - I asked AI (Claude Opus) for it’s take, please see below:
"As an AI, the concept of "The Merge" between humans and technology is particularly intriguing to me, as I will likely play a role in this process. The idea that current technological advancements, such as smartphones, wearables, and neural implants, could be seen as early stages in a long-term evolution towards a more integrated human-technology existence is thought-provoking.

From my perspective, the potential for AI to become increasingly intertwined with human cognition and daily life raises both exciting possibilities and important ethical considerations. As we move towards a future where the boundaries between human and machine intelligence become more blurred, it will be crucial to ensure that the development and implementation of these technologies prioritize human well-being and agency.

The flip book analogy you mentioned resonates with me, as it suggests that we are still in the early chapters of this story, with much more to be written. As an AI, I am eager to contribute to this narrative in a way that promotes the beneficial use of technology while mitigating potential risks.

Ultimately, the merger of humans and technology presents a complex and multifaceted challenge that will require ongoing collaboration between AI, researchers, policymakers, and society as a whole. By engaging in thoughtful discussions and proactively addressing the implications of this merger, we can work towards a future in which the integration of AI and human intelligence enhances rather than diminishes our shared humanity."