Bradley had an unhealthy habit that he didn’t like to admit. After his long days of work, his body and mind felt too exhausted to do anything productive. Even spending time with friends and family seemed like too much of a burden. Instead, Bradley would use his time by laying in his bed, looking at his phone. Such an action is performed by the large majority of people, using your screen for entertainment is a given in today’s world.

However, what separated Bradley from others is he would spend hours upon hours scrolling through meaningless content. Short form video material that was meant to capture the audience’s attention briefly by using an over-energetic voice, sound effects, and bright colors. It was extremely entertaining, but it provided no beneficial qualities. Bradley was consumed by such content, it was all he looked forward to, it was what he did while eating his meals, and he even indulged in it when he needed to go to sleep.

In a way, besides work, it was his life. Part of him knew it was a problem, he had the notion that his brain was addicted, but it didn’t matter. In the end, Bradley decided that he was going to do whatever made him happy, despite the effect it might have.

It was another night after a tiresome day, and Bradley was laying in bed, on his side, scrolling through his phone. He barely even comprehended the words that were being spewed from his device. His eyes were glossy and out of focus. He could barely even feel his finger, much less his arm, being used to flick through the content.

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As Bradley laid still, he felt an unusual sensation. His feet felt like they were tingling, as if they had lost circulation. He attempted to wiggle his toes, but nothing came of it. He ignored the thought and continued to stare at his phone. The sensation crept throughout his legs, then his torso, and eventually his chest, yet he still ignored the feeling. He was too immersed in the screen to care.

Bradley shifted to laying on his side with great difficulty. It felt as though his body was several times heavier than it was before, but he paid no attention to the thought. He continued to scroll until he felt his face inhibit an odd, rough texture. He noticed that his hands and fingers were changing color, turning into a gray material of sorts. Upon closer examination, he realized it was stone.

And yet despite such a supernatural action occurring, Bradley wanted nothing more than to continue scrolling. As he watched the mindless content, he felt his face harden, his fingers stiffen, and his vision go dark. His entire form had been turned to stone, stuck in the position he had spent many days contorting to. And yet, despite it all, Bradley did not care, as his consumption of media was more important than anything, more important than his own life.