Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by zug_zug 731 days ago
Eh, this feels like a bad-faith argument. I think most of us on this site first-hand feel that obsession to update a feed that seems to control us more than we control it.

I don't need the DSM's permission to notice that.

Whether the ban will work out, open question. But pretending there's no addiction here doesn't pass the smell test.
2 comments
superkuh 731 days ago
Even if it may feel universal that is likely not reflecting the actual distribution of the perception. (ref: Inferring the Popularity of an Opinion From Its Familiarity: A Repetitive Voice Can Sound Like a Chorus https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-925821.pdf)

Additionally, feelings are fine for personal behavior but legislation requires a higher level of evidence. I really do believe what I am saying: addiction is an inappropriate concept to apply here since incentive salience is not being directly hijacked. The types of legislative responses to social problems of addiction (like to cocaine) are not appropriate or justified in this context.

To be clearer: enjoyable things with intrinsic value are being targeted in this context and those things are enjoyed. While addiction involves uncontrollable reptition of things without intrinsic value which become wanted due to the system for wanting being activated directly. Stimuli on screens do not do this. Drugs do. That's why it's gambling disorder and drug addiction. That extra layer of abstraction through the senses makes all the different.

link
zug_zug 731 days ago
> Additionally, feelings are fine for personal behavior but legislation requires a higher level of evidence.

This I can agree with -- but I think it would trivial to get that evidence by asking 10,000 teens if they agree with the following statement "Some of my social media apps feel addictive -- they don't bring my enjoyment but I can't seem to stop using them."

I'd bet about half of teens agree with that.

link
megaman821 731 days ago
I have never felt any compulsion to update a feed. I would like some actual numbers of people that have a debilitating relationship with social media before we pass a bunch of laws restricting it.
link
owisd 731 days ago
Lots of people have never experienced depression but don't feel the need to claim that means it's not real.
link
megaman821 731 days ago
I didn't make any sort of claim like that. The parent said most people have social media compulsion, and I doubt those claims. If you are going to ban something from an entire population of people, why should they not study the actual prevalence of harm.
link