For many characters in If It Bleeds, obsession gives way to impulsivity, leading these characters to act against their own best interests. The novellas in If It Bleeds consider both contemporary obsessions and the evergreen obsessions that extend from one era to the next. In all cases, characters pursue their obsessions and follow their impulses without regard to the consequences, harming themselves and others in the process.

In “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” one boy’s coming of age coincides with the widespread popularity of smartphones and the Internet. The elderly, retired business tycoon Mr. Harrigan exists as a representative of the era before smartphones. He initially resists this new technology, rejecting Craig’s gift of the iPhone because he fears giving all his time to it—a concern that echoes widely publicized contemporary worries about the addictive nature of smartphones and social media. Presciently, Mr. Harrigan realizes that the smartphone will transform the world of business and create new profit-making opportunities. Mr. Harrigan values the smartphone as a business tool for the same reason that he fears it: because it takes advantage of its user’s impulsiveness, offering them instant gratification and thus compelling their attention. When Mr. Harrigan dies, this instant gratification reaches a frightening apotheosis: All

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