[baxtr]

I don’t buy the analogy. Do we look back at TV saying the same thing? Granted we have to learn how we can live in balance with smartphones and the always-in mentality. Compared to cigarettes there are a lot of positives things you can do with smartphones.

[rchaud]

It's the difference between one-way and two-way methods of communication as well as past events vs live events. TV shows are static, they are completely unchanged by your personal opinion as you watch it. You cannot submit a comment on a TV episode, nor is there any mechanism for the episode to reflect the impact of your comment (likes, replies, etc.)

In fact, even FB/Twitter/IG aren't "real-time". They don't show all the likes as they're coming in. They specifically delay showing the full number so you have a reason to come back and re-check. If you see a higher number of likes, you're going to come back again to re-check.

[randomsearch]

TV isn't the same, as it doesn't contain the same tight feedback loop of reward and punishment as social media.

[baxtr]

TV isn’t the same? you mean like smartphones aren’t the same as cigarettes?

[cirgue]

> Do we look back at TV saying the same thing?

They definitely do. Not to the same degree that people shun cigarette smoking as a vice though. There's a reason that the phrase 'binge-watching' includes the word binge, as opposed to saying 'marathoning' or something that would communicate the same thing.

[grawprog]

Yeah. People have been saying it for a long time about tv. At least as long as I can remember.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tarahaelle/2015/12/02/heads-up-...

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-tv-rot-your-...

[wvenable]

People used to say the same thing about reading if you go back far enough.

[grawprog]

Yeah...that was kind of the point...