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What doesn't alter brain chemistry? Spooky title, but no, really, the thing we've spent millions of dollars on making addictive is addictive? Internet addictio

What doesn't alter brain chemistry? Spooky title, but no, really, the thing we've spent millions of dollars on making addictive is addictive? Internet addiction is a dirty word for "user retention."

heckelson 2y ago
that's what I was thinking... stress alters brain chemistry, falling in love, eating sugar, meditation, sports, and basically anything you do
- rzzzt 2y ago
  The article (and presumably the study behind the article) expands on this a bit, it just wouldn't make a click-friendly title. According to the text, Internet addiction makes young people prone to fall for other kinds of addiction and negatively affects mental health, physical coordination, intellect, memory, sleep patterns and eating, ie. all the things you don't want broken.
  - Sirizarry 2y ago
    So they’re using the old gateway drug argument when it comes to “internet addiction”? I thought that whole thing was supposed to be bullocks
    - rzzzt 2y ago
      I wouldn't even know where to start to verify this or the opposite claim. Conduct a meta-meta-study?
anyfoo 2y ago
I personally think "user retention" is a harmless sounding euphemism for induced addiction.
- floating-io 2y ago
  Only if your revenue comes from ads or a pay per play style product. There exist many services that can retain users without them needing to log in every five seconds to maintain the revenue stream.
  - llamaimperative 2y ago
    Square vs rectangle issue here. If your product is ad supported then you definitely depend on creating addiction, but if it's not, you may still be trying to create addictions (e.g. Netflix)
    - floating-io 2y ago
      It depends only on how closely your profit is tied to the amount of time the customer spends on the product. To take Netflix for example, it's probably better for them in terms of subscription profits if your "addiction" causes you to watch one episode each month, and not use it at all the rest of the time. Unless you have non-revenue reasons to addict people, but that's probably headed into conspiracy theory territory... :) That said, I'm pretty sure netflix has ad revenue, so the point is kinda moot.
paulsef 2y ago
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nerdjon 2y ago
Right?!? “Alters” ok? Working out “alters” my muscles. The real question is if it is bad. And importantly. Do we consider it bad because it’s different than how we are or is it actually bad.
- hooverd 2y ago
  Oh, I think having access to content slop firehose is terrible for your attention span! No arguments there.

What doesn't alter brain chemistry? Spooky title, but no, really, the thing we've spent millions of dollars on making addictive is addictive? Internet addiction is a dirty word for "user retention."

heckelson 2y ago

that's what I was thinking... stress alters brain chemistry, falling in love, eating sugar, meditation, sports, and basically anything you do

rzzzt 2y ago
The article (and presumably the study behind the article) expands on this a bit, it just wouldn't make a click-friendly title. According to the text, Internet addiction makes young people prone to fall for other kinds of addiction and negatively affects mental health, physical coordination, intellect, memory, sleep patterns and eating, ie. all the things you don't want broken.
- Sirizarry 2y ago
  So they’re using the old gateway drug argument when it comes to “internet addiction”? I thought that whole thing was supposed to be bullocks
  - rzzzt 2y ago
    I wouldn't even know where to start to verify this or the opposite claim. Conduct a meta-meta-study?

anyfoo 2y ago

I personally think "user retention" is a harmless sounding euphemism for induced addiction.

floating-io 2y ago
Only if your revenue comes from ads or a pay per play style product. There exist many services that can retain users without them needing to log in every five seconds to maintain the revenue stream.
- llamaimperative 2y ago
  Square vs rectangle issue here. If your product is ad supported then you definitely depend on creating addiction, but if it's not, you may still be trying to create addictions (e.g. Netflix)
  - floating-io 2y ago
    It depends only on how closely your profit is tied to the amount of time the customer spends on the product. To take Netflix for example, it's probably better for them in terms of subscription profits if your "addiction" causes you to watch one episode each month, and not use it at all the rest of the time. Unless you have non-revenue reasons to addict people, but that's probably headed into conspiracy theory territory... :) That said, I'm pretty sure netflix has ad revenue, so the point is kinda moot.

paulsef 2y ago

[dead]

nerdjon 2y ago

Right?!? “Alters” ok? Working out “alters” my muscles. The real question is if it is bad. And importantly. Do we consider it bad because it’s different than how we are or is it actually bad.

hooverd 2y ago
Oh, I think having access to content slop firehose is terrible for your attention span! No arguments there.