alt Hacker NewsSounds like you need to read up on dopamine and addictions a bit more.
Gambling isn’t introducing substance into user system it is making use of existing brain chemicals.
Social media companies engineered every piece of addictive mechanisms from gambling to alter brain chemistry or reactions of users.
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You're blurring the lines a bit. Gambling isn't inherently an addiction. Just like a good TV show isn't inherently addictive either. Social media trying to be more engaging shouldn't really be viewed as an evil action anymore than HBO trying to create compelling content is.
The problem with comparing social media use to tobacco is that they are completely different. It's like saying weed is just like heroin because they both make you feel good. It's reductive and not productive.
The completely anti-social media stance ignores the good parts of social media. People can connect from across the planet and found others who shares the same views or experiences. People who are marginalized can find community where none may exist in their local area. So we should approach this more carefully and grounded.
> Sounds like you need to read up on dopamine and addictions a bit more.
Nah, I just need to not equivocate between them. The use of the same term to describe activities that produce a dopamine response as is used for ingestion of chemicals that create a direct physical dependence is little more than a propaganda tactic.