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.