There’s a new craze going around. It seems fun, a harmless app that everyone plays at lunch. So you buy it. You have fun for a few weeks, spending around 15 minutes a day playing. Then things change. You play more and more, begin sacrificing class time to play. The simple app has become a burden. App addiction has set in.

Senior Max Weiss said, “I try not to give in to the app crazes. I know myself too well, and I’m 100% sure I’ll get addicted. I still play Agario.”

Once the addiction sets in, it can be difficult to shake. What was once simple fun has become an unexpected responsibility, and obligation to play becomes unavoidable.

Freshman Phoebe Zawatsky said, “It definitely becomes less fun as you play, and more something you just start doing as a reflex. For example, I recently had to stop myself from playing the new app Stop so much, because I realized how much time it was taking.”

The specific app in question continually changes. Last year, Trivia Crack had everyone staring into their screens, craving another fix. This year, the culprit seems to be Stop, an online version of Scattergories. In all cases, the pattern of addiction remains consistent.

Senior Kevin Fitzgerald said, “You can see the apps moving through the school like waves of corruption. What starts out as a few students playing a game on their phones results in a hoard of zombies talking about nothing but a stupid app.”

Be prepared. Know the warning signs. App addiction is a constant threat to us all.