Hi. I came here because I realized I was pretty much (psychologically, of course) addicted to the internet site Reddit. I would always check it when I first woke up, read it before bed, read it in between classes, etc. I’m not typically a procrastinator but I found myself putting off more important things to read Reddit posts.
I think it’s really open to becoming an addiction for anyone prone to them. A dopamine hit is just a click away. If you didn’t know, the way it works is you subscribe to “subreddits” (kind of like subforums but anyone can make one about any topic) and get a custom homepage with posts from all of the subreddits you’ve subscribed to. One click and you can get adorable cat pictures. The next second you learn an interesting scientific fact. Scroll down the homepage a bit and you find information related to a niche hobby you have. The next link might be porn you’re interested in. By it’s nature, you are constantly stimulated, yet often it’s shallow.
See, another aspect of the site is that links that have been “upvoted” by other users are more likely to be seen. Unfortunately, this means that the links you see tend to be basic and appeal to the lowest common denominator. I really think for me it gave the appearance that I was learning things but in reality, I did not get much more out of it than I would browsing Facebook all day.
Anyway, I still like to read discussions people have, so I decided to check out other forums that are a bit slower and possibly have more intellectually stimulating conversations. I’ve read the SDMB on and off throughout the years so I decided to join. I’m enjoying it here so far but I get the impression that the majority of the posters are older than I am, which is great, but that some are unnecessarily judgemental and out of touch with about my generation (Y, millennial). That part I do not enjoy. We’ll see how it goes though.
I guess I’m just posting to get my story off my chest and see if anyone has had a similar experience. How did you deal with it? I blocked the site but I’m finding it really tempting to go back. Maybe I should set a limit of, say, 30 minutes per day instead. I am not sure yet.
Anyway, thanks for reading. :o
