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Today's cartoon is by Angel Boligán, a Mexican cartoonist.

At first glance, this beautiful and artistic cartoon by Ángel Boligán seems to portray a simple story: a domestic dog resting (or “recharging”) expresses anger toward a mobile phone that is also being charged. This anger and resentment reflect a fierce rivalry that has formed between the two.

But the fascinating element that turns this piece into a masterpiece is Boligán’s subtle and intelligent depiction of smartphone and internet addiction. In many of his previous works, he has highlighted this modern dependency, but here the brilliance lies in the indirect and almost invisible way he addresses it—making the message even more powerful and compelling.

When we see the dog expressing such intense anger, we can guess that its owner spends most of their time with the phone and no longer gives the dog the attention it once enjoyed. Clearly, the relationship wasn’t always like this. With a little imagination, we can easily picture the joyful moments the dog once shared with its owner before the phone entered their lives. If the owner had always been indifferent, the dog would never react so intensely toward the device. The phone has stolen something precious from the dog—something that rightfully belonged to it.

From all the clues and emotional cues within this cartoon, the conclusion becomes clear: smartphone, internet, and social-media addiction. An addiction the owner may not even be aware of—yet the dog senses it deeply and reacts to it instinctively.

There is also a clever paradox here: although the dog appears to be resting (recharging), the anger it displays actually drains its energy instead of restoring it. Meanwhile, the phone quietly and effortlessly charges, preparing to face the dog again the next day—confident in its secure position in the owner’s life. The dog, however, senses the threat and feels compelled to defend its place. It cannot relax—not even at night—and this constant alertness wears it down.

The core message embedded in this cartoon is the damage caused by smartphone addiction—harm that we may be completely unaware of as we remain lost in our own comfortable distraction. With the excessive time we spend on our phones and social networks, we unknowingly harm our relationships with those around us, especially the people closest to us—our family. The more time we spend scrolling and staring at screens, the more warmth, intimacy, freshness, and vitality drain from our connections. This chronic indifference, born with the rise of smartphones and the internet, slowly chills the soul of our relationships.

Perhaps it’s time to finally wake up from this deep and comfortable sleep.

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