Exploiting Internet Addiction?

Companies are profit driven. Today, all companies want that "next big thing" to generate money. So how do they go about that? In this Internet Age, an increasing number of companies live by the idea, "create an obsession, then exploit it." Gaming companies openly talk about the "compulsion loop." This idea is as followed: Gamer plays the game, gamer achieves goal, gamer is rewarded new content, then gamer wants to get more content so they enter the loop again.

When you're rewarded or accomplish a goal, you excite your neurons and they release dopamine. This makes the experience pleasurable and some people become obsessed. This also describes why some people get very angry when they lose or don't accomplish a goal. 

The release of dopamine causes the basis for addiction. In the past, people create barriers to detour unhealthy obsessions. It's hard to put a physical barrier in between the user and the internet which makes this addiction a little harder to combat. You have to recognize our virtual environment has real consequences and work towards recovering from the obsession.

Mariyah Hargrove

Sat. 10/20/12