I recently finished "Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked", which I thought was an important read given my role

I recently finished "Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked", which I thought was an important read given my role in designing apps and products. One argument the author makes is that generally it's not that people merely lack willpower, it’s that “there are a thousand people on the other side of the screen whose job it is to break down the self-regulation you have.” And you could certainly extend that to food. I'm reminded of one of my very intelligent friends in school who practically disappeared one year from all social activity and academics... because he got addicted to WoW. I have a very addictive personality with regards to games, especially RPG's/adventures, and have refused to ever play WoW because of the fear of addiction. As much as I love computer games, I also recognize that video gaming have irrevocably resulted in stunting my social and personal development. I don't blame video games so much as recognize my vulnerability to gaming. Just like how alcoholics can't just have a sip, well neither can I. I know that if I play even a simple game like Hearthstone, I'll go down a rabbit hole that will take months to crawl out of. I'll stop doing certain regular activities, like studying, seeing friends, pursuing my long-term career, exercising, meditating, etc. We talk about substance abuse and deride the addicts, but we also have a growing number of people who have behavioral addictions to their smartphone, games, news websites, e-mail, social media. These addictions can arise when a person can’t resist a behavior, which, despite addressing a deep psychological need in the short-term, produces significant harm in the long-term. Deep gaming sessions for me tended to correlate with a certain unhappiness, specifically loneliness, and lack of fulfillment in my life. For one of my friends, gaming is a drug that placates the fact that for years, he has hated his job and has had issues finding a new one.