I'd say the fact that the internet is clearly useful in certain ways is a thing that allows some of the downsides to travel along. With something like recreati

I'd say the fact that the internet is clearly useful in certain ways is a thing that allows some of the downsides to travel along. With something like recreational drugs, the upsides are just pure hedonism, you do them because they make you feel a certain way and the downsides aren't inextricably connected. Plus the downsides are pretty awful, whereas with internet stuff it's awful but in a way that doesn't require an ambulance. Basically social media addiction is a flu that millions of people catch and mostly live with, whereas drug addiction is a thing fewer people catch but some of them die from it, like Ebola.