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Framing gambling in that matter is quite interesting and does line up with the allure of the quite recent explosion in streamers doing straight up "online casin

Framing gambling in that matter is quite interesting and does line up with the allure of the quite recent explosion in streamers doing straight up "online casino" gambling. Also shines a light in the other forms of gambling videogame streamers do related to lootboxes and why it attracts so many eyes, you're almost living in this "zone" thru the broadcaster. It does seem to be kind of similar to the "zone" in programming, it's not uncommon to finish a task you were planning and just to keep in the zone I started doing extra features, many times that would be scrapped later because it was not relevant but just due to the inertia and to not have to switch context. There's also an interesting question there regarding adhd and gambling, I'd imagine the hyper fixation would definitely make the issue more acute. A quick search got me this[0] meta-study which seems to find some link between adhd symptoms and problem gambling, I'm no medical scholar however so don't take my word for it. [0]: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26832122/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26832122/

davidhay 4y ago
Good point and there is an overall high correlation between addiction in general and ADHD.
thr0wawayf00 4y ago
ADHD has a very well-established connection to substance abuse and addiction so a link to gambling makes sense as well. ADHD can be difficult to diagnose but the substance abuse connection is frequently discussed in the community as it relates to compulsive behavior.
JusticeJuice 4y ago
The article doesn't explicitly say it, but "the zone" certainly sounds a lot like flow state[0]. Like when you're really engrossed in a task it certainly is pleasurable, and it like really does make you forget about all the other worries and problems and anxieties of the rest of your life. This framing does match my own personal experience with video games, I could waste hours grinding queues - it's like just putting everything else on pause. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
- mistrial9 4y ago
  I believe that the human mind is a symphony of signals, and a cacophony of contradicting forces at work. Flow-state is a broad description of "active and steady" but that could describe lots of very different things.. the torpid insensate cocoon of the opiate user, to the comfortable zen of a regular meditator; an accountant doing their third week Wednesday "rollups", an aerobics instructor doing a regular routine with thirty students at a gym; the captain of a small sail boat going down a regular route.. many more. These mental states are quite different, yet could be described as "flow"
- boilerupnc 4y ago
  And mine as well ... but in art. I would lose track of hours during a pencil sketching session. It was partially meditative, partially distraction and partially hyper-focus, but 100% relaxing and enjoyable.
Bakary 4y ago
I wonder if the term 'hyper fixation' isn't a bit misleading when it comes to ADHD. It's often marketed by sufferers as a light superpower, but rather than being able to focus it's more an inability to defocus, which is a significant difference even if the end result seems similar.

davidhay 4y ago

Good point and there is an overall high correlation between addiction in general and ADHD.

thr0wawayf00 4y ago

ADHD has a very well-established connection to substance abuse and addiction so a link to gambling makes sense as well. ADHD can be difficult to diagnose but the substance abuse connection is frequently discussed in the community as it relates to compulsive behavior.

JusticeJuice 4y ago

The article doesn't explicitly say it, but "the zone" certainly sounds a lot like flow state[0]. Like when you're really engrossed in a task it certainly is pleasurable, and it like really does make you forget about all the other worries and problems and anxieties of the rest of your life. This framing does match my own personal experience with video games, I could waste hours grinding queues - it's like just putting everything else on pause. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)

mistrial9 4y ago
I believe that the human mind is a symphony of signals, and a cacophony of contradicting forces at work. Flow-state is a broad description of "active and steady" but that could describe lots of very different things.. the torpid insensate cocoon of the opiate user, to the comfortable zen of a regular meditator; an accountant doing their third week Wednesday "rollups", an aerobics instructor doing a regular routine with thirty students at a gym; the captain of a small sail boat going down a regular route.. many more. These mental states are quite different, yet could be described as "flow"
boilerupnc 4y ago
And mine as well ... but in art. I would lose track of hours during a pencil sketching session. It was partially meditative, partially distraction and partially hyper-focus, but 100% relaxing and enjoyable.

Bakary 4y ago

I wonder if the term 'hyper fixation' isn't a bit misleading when it comes to ADHD. It's often marketed by sufferers as a light superpower, but rather than being able to focus it's more an inability to defocus, which is a significant difference even if the end result seems similar.