HN is addictive, but I think we're dramatizing things. Is a product that people like to use a lot a bad thing? Maybe that just speaks to having a good product that gives people what they want, rather than some insidious mind-control scheme where people have no agency to stop using it. Are creators supposed to make their products worse so people don't use them as much? I don't get it.

I think the split comes now that companies, such as FB, have focused to maximize 'engagement' with zero thought on the repercussions. Cigarette companies knew people were addicted to nicotine, but I guarantee in their planning sessions they talked about engagement or some other corporate fluff word.

It's less about having a good product or making a worse product, and more about the moral and ethical responsibility to consider what that addicting product's end result will be.

Exactly. No site gives me more anxiety than HN while being so addictive at the same time.

Well you should stop coming back then. You have identified a destructive behaviour, that's step 1. Step 1.1 is ACT right now: set up a very long noprocrast in your profile and keep on living your life. You really won't miss anything actually important by not coming here as often.

HN has a timer you can turn on to avoid procrastinating on other things by spending all your time here. I tried it in the past and it does work.

So bookmark the search page and blacklist the home page. Only read what you specifically search for.

You know, there's the 'noprocrast' option, which you can very easily set to yes, if this site sucks too much of your time.

I don't think that Facebook offers anything comparable.

I AM NOT ADDICTED

”I can leave anytime I want!” :-)

At least HN isn't designed to keep you addicted (sorry, engaged) :)

Well, it is in its format. Like Digg and Reddit before it, the addictive part comes from a constant stream of new "stuff" for us to consume.

To anyone looking at us pre reddit/digg many of us would look "addicted" to HN based on our usage of it.

Yes I won't deny the format is addicting, it's just not specifically designed to optimise addiction like certain other sites.

If that were the case, they'd hide the karma score.