Internet AddictionDoug Rowe

Road Map● Is it possible to be addicted to the

internet?● How do people get addicted to

the internet?● Case study: Mobile Game

Can you be addicted to the internet?

Can You Be Addicted To The Internet?● Too much internet use can be

detrimental.● Are the side effects indicative of

addiction?

Signs of Alcohol Addiction● Being unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink

● Wanting to cut down on how much you drink or making unsuccessful attempts to do so

● Spending a lot of time drinking, getting alcohol or recovering from alcohol use

● Feeling a strong craving or urge to drink alcohol

● Failing to fulfill major obligations at work, school or home due to repeated alcohol use

● Continuing to drink alcohol even though you know it's causing physical, social or interpersonal problems

● Giving up or reducing social and work activities and hobbies

● Using alcohol in situations where it's not safe, such as when driving or swimming

● Developing a tolerance to alcohol so you need more to feel its effect or you have a reduced effect from the same

amount

● Experiencing withdrawal symptoms — such as nausea, sweating and shaking — when you don't drink, or drinking to

avoid these symptoms

Mayo Clinic

“Being unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink”

“Wanting to cut down on how much you drink or making

unsuccessful attempts to do so”

“Experiencing withdrawal symptoms”

“Spending a lot of time drinking, getting alcohol or recovering from alcohol use”

4:02

Classification● Internet Gaming Disorder is classified in The Diagnostic and Statistical

Manual of Mental Disorders, which is produced by the American Psychiatric Association. (Müller et al. 2015)

How is the internet designed to be addictive?

Dopamine● Used to reward you for good behavior

○ Eating○ Exercising○ Completing tasks

● Exploited by developers in what’s known as “compulsion loops”

Compulsion Loops1. Person is given a task2. Person is told how to accomplish the task3. Person completes the task and receives a dopamine hit4. Person is given a new task

Exploiting Compulsion Loops● Users will run out of “stamina” or “lives”

forcing them to stop playing● Presented with the option of buying more

Near Miss● If people feel like they were close to

accomplishing a task, they feel they have a better chance next time, so they will try again.

No Finish● If a game doesn’t end, an addicted player has

no reason to stop playing

Loot boxes● Your brain is more excited by

uncertain rewards than certain ones

● People prefer a random chance between a high reward and low reward to a certain chance at a medium reward

● The excitement can be addictive

Infinite Scroll“If you don't give your brain time to catch up with your impulses, you just keep scrolling.” -Aza Raskin, developer of infinite scroll

● Provides constant mental stimulation without breaks

Likes● Likes are also used to trick you into releasing dopamine● Likes offer a sense of validation

ColorBlue light tricks your body into thinking it is daytime, making you feel more awake when scrolling at night. (Harvard Health Letter)

Why Do People Get Addicted?● Lack of personal connections● Stress● Filling a void● Students are particularly vulnerable

Problems With Internet Addiction● Internet is readily accessible● Children can be targeted

Case Study: Mobile Game

Case Study: Mobile Game● ABC.inc develops a mobile game that is free to

download● The game is intentionally designed to be addictive● People who get addicted to the game spend

money to keep playing● Is this unethical?

Act Utilitarian Analysis● Suppose 7.3% of people who play the game regularly are addicted to it

(Chen, Leung). Spending an average of $43.01 on the game (The guardian).

● People who don’t get addicted receive $95.40 worth of utility by playing the game(Yan)(Total Money).

● Addicted users: 7.3% x $43.01 = $3.14● Other users: 92.7% x $95.40 = $88.44● Because the utility received by users who are not addicted outweighs the

money spent by those who are addicted, ABC.inc did nothing wrong

Kantian Analysis● ABC.inc would like to get people addicted to their game in order to make

money off of them● Universal Rule: It is ok to make products that are addictive for others.● The developers don’t want others to make things that are addictive for

them.● Under the 1st Formulation ABC.inc is acting unethically● ABC.inc is exploiting the addictions of others as a means to make money.● Under the 2nd Formulation ABC.inc is acting unethically

Social Contract Theory● If ABC.inc allows people to use their app at no cost, is it reasonable for

them to try to find another way to make money off the app?● It is reasonable for ABC.inc to try to make money off of the app they

developed.● It is not reasonable for people to expect others to make free software for

them and not benefit.● ABC.inc has done nothing wrong

Question time