Technology is all around us. It can make life easier or more frustrating. It can help us work, entertain us, or help us learn.

It can even save lives or end them. Does this sound dramatic? It’s true, to some degree. People can attached to technology. Very attached. We all know people who are always using their phones, computers, or other devices, or maybe we’re those people ourselves.

Is this constant use an addiction, like an addiction to a drug or alcohol? Perhaps. Researchers and addiction professionals sometimes argue that compulsive behaviors such as gambling, shopping, and using technology excessively resemble addictions. The behaviors trigger dopamine and endorphins, substances in the brain that create good feelings.

So, that person obsessively using his or her phone might be getting high off of the experience. As with drug and alcohol use, they feel a rush from their behaviors and feel bad when these behaviors stop. As a consequence, they feel compelled to keep on doing the things that make them feel good, that keep the dopamine and endorphins rushing.

But we can’t use technology everywhere. Driving and texting at the same time is obviously not a good idea. It can slow reaction times and rob our attention just as much as driving while drunk or high. Drivers who were texting and driving have caused accidents, just as drivers impaired by drugs and alcohol have.

There are some innovative methods to stop such behaviors. We’ve all heard of the breathalyzers that measure a person’s amount of alcohol concentration. But did you know that there are “breathalyzers” for people who text?

A company is developing the Textalyzer, a device that can determine if a person recently sent a recent text or an e-mail message from their electronic device. This can help determine if such device use may have led to particular accidents. Although the technology is new, police departments are considering adopting the device as a way to curb the widespread practice of texting and driving.

If adopted, this technology might save lives from the misuse of other technology.