The other night, my wife accused me and my daughter of being addicted to our smart phones.

We stare at them all the time, she said, looking at whatever we look at, be it some story on the internet, Facebook (my daughter) or texting someone.

At first, I thought her accusations were the result of jealousy; that we were spending more time with our phones than with her. But gradually, I’m starting to believe that flat device joined to me at the hip for the better part of the day is slowly drawing me in some hollow existence. It’s almost like the 1950s movie “The Body Snatchers,” where pods from outer space take over humans and replace them with mindless clones.

My experience with cellphones goes back almost 30 years. Looking back now, it’s almost funny. When these modern marvels came out in small sizes and affordable prices, I was working on the Mississippi gulf coast and swore I’d never have a cell phone. That was until I was in rural Jackson County in 1999 and received three calls on my pager (remember those?) from the district attorney’s office, and could not find a phone. That’s when I went to one of the local cellphone emporiums and got one. A year later, I got one for my wife for Valentine’s Day.

Several years later I got one for our daughter, and the landline we had at our home ever since my wife and I had been married, disappeared. It was easier and more convenient to use the cell phones, because we were scattered all over the place.

I’ve gone through several cellphones over the years, and for most of that time resisted moving to a smart phone. We didn’t text, we didn’t have the internet on the phones and things were peaceful.

Then things changed, and I saw the need to upgrade to a smart phone. I got my first one about four years ago, and gadget freak that I am, ditched it for a more high tech model almost a year ago.

At first it was to be better in contact with work and family. Now, I find myself checking my phone for messages when I get up in the morning. I check the weather on my phone. And through experimentation, I’ve learned which apps appeal most to me. And that includes the sports apps.

For a fan of college football like me, the apps from CBS and WatchESPN are like a nectar from the gods. I can keep up with the college game year-round, and during the season, it wasn’t unusual for me to watch one show on TV and another on my phone.

So I guess maybe my wife’s right. Maybe I am addicted to my phone.

But one day, that will change. Her flip phone will soon die, and she’ll be moving to her own smart phone.

And my daughter and I will have her right where we want her, and she’ll join us.

John Surratt is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at john.surratt@vicksburgpost.com