On Computer Addiction
By Edward Willis (http://encw.xyz)
Published DEC/19/2022


Today almost everyone accepts the idea that computer technology makes our lives
better. And in many ways it does: computers are valuable tools. But I think
there are reasons to believe that in some ways computers make life worse.

There is an oversaturation of computer usage in our everyday lives. Computers,
including mobile computers like smartphones and tablets, and the applications
they deliver, are constantly vying for our attention. They're designed to suck
up as much of our time as possible. The design of applications is increasingly
slick and polished, full of graphics, and animations. Our monkey brains are
overwhelmed by it all and easily addicted to it.

This is increasingly by design; many application and game designers set out now
to include as many addictive qualities in their programs as possible. Conduct an
internet search for the words "making an application addictive", or the like,
and you will be met with a wealth of links to information on just how to go
about it.

This compulsive recreational computer use is what concerns me. People using
computers, not because there is any need for it as a tool, or even for any
genuine enjoyment, but merely because they are addicted. Any addiction will have
negative effects on a person's life, such as their relationships, and lost
productivity. Also their state of mind, as living with a constant compulsion,
and the resulting lack of focus, may keep an individual from achieving the
personal growth, and wider understanding, that quiet, careful thinking
allows for.

Then there are the societal implications. Many dystopian stories involve the
populace escaping the real world into a make-believe virtual world, either of
their own volition, or by force, through the use of VR headsets, or some future
technology. I put it to you that you don't need VR headsets or any advancement
in technology to accomplish the same dynamic. It is going on right now. The
United States, and the western world as a whole, are beset by social, political,
and ecomomic problems. People are escaping into social media, video games, and
other on-line, and off line computerized entertainments, to avoid reality.

We as individuals and as a society ought to remember that computers are mere
tools, and reduce our psychological dependence on them.