I've wrestled with this same question, and I'm not quite sure where I stand. Maybe HN is like nicotine gum, still the same chemicals and neural pathways being

I've wrestled with this same question, and I'm not quite sure where I stand. Maybe HN is like nicotine gum, still the same chemicals and neural pathways being activated, but a better substitute for a user who can't just quit cold turkey and replace the addiction with a more productive habit. On the other hand, if I want to be more charitable to HN (or possibly to rationalize my own addiction), I see Hacker News as a kind of social circle , like an English cofeehouse in the 18th century where thoughtful people congregate to discuss what they see as the important issues of the time. I've completely gotten rid of facebook with the help of News Feed Eradicator, I don't have an Instagram (though I rarely will get caught up recursively stalking people which leads to feelings of envy / contempt / anomie), and I find most of reddit to be utterly banal pop culture TV-for-the-internet. So, maybe hacker news is an addiction, but the social aspects of being able to connect with all of these brilliant people, that I otherwise wouldn't, and hear their thoughts and experiences is something I find extremely valuable, addiction or not.