Ever since Apple invented the first iPod, their devices have taken the world by storm, creating a consumer dependence that rarely occurs with any company I have heard of. In particular, iPhones have maintained an astonishing popularity for years, as Apple continually releases new versions to keep its customers wanting more. Although I do not update my phone whenever a new version comes out, I eventually buy the latest iPhone when my current phone either breaks or my parents decide I have had it for long enough. Yet I must admit, I too am a victim to this Apple addiction, as I spend too much time each day looking at social media and texting on my iPhone. Americans actually spend 4.7 hours a day on their smartphones--a statistic that definitely applies to me (read more here: http://www.ubergizmo.com/2015/02/americ … es-report/). I do recognize nonetheless that my obsession with my phone is not out of necessity for the device, though cell phones are necessary as means of communicating in emergencies, but instead out of  desire. Purchasing a new phone or constantly using the one I have has come from habit and from observational learning, as I see my peers updating and using their phones. At my high school, the junior class has the option to participate in a retreat called Kairos, which means God's time. On this retreat, our teachers took our phones for our entire three day stay. During this retreat, I realized just how often I looked at my phone rather than interact with the world around me, and I actually dreaded getting my phone back by the time we returned to school. For me, this trip proved that Apple addiction may be widespread, but is not impossible to end. In respects to the environment, iPhones and similar technology takes a lot of resources to create and can pollute the environment when not safely disposed of. Humankind must fight the yearning to constantly update technology and spend the majority of time immersed in this technology, especially for the sake of the planet.