Gambling is not physically addictive, but for its worst addicts it’s as ruinous as cigarettes.

Social media is similar in that the dependence is psychological, and the harm caused can vary from basically none, to tremendous psychological and material damage (up to and including suicide as a result of self-esteem, bullying or body issues).

I would agree that it’s our generation’s cigarettes simply because it’s ubiquitous and the impact on both health and society is unquestioned by the masses. It simply is. We don’t smoke on a plane anymore because we don’t want to give everyone cancer, but we don’t take the same precautions to protect unconsenting individuals, like children, from becoming mush-brained iPad babies manipulated by the TikTok and YouTube algorithms.

Let’s not forget that social media, Facebook to be specific, is blamed for fanning the flames of multiple ethnic conflicts in Asia and Africa that have ended in genocide. It’s likely that cigarettes do more harm to the individual user, but social media does more harm to society. This is something we will have to reckon with in the future, and once we establish sensible controls and norms we’ll wonder how we lived like this for so long.

They have 2 robots so far. I believe they can make it to 5 by next year and the other 995 will just be people in spandex suits like the first time he announced these things

The snake eating its own tail

I think there’s some truth to being afraid to give up. But I can’t see myself in any other industry, and I am proud of my work whenever I see it in production/being used irl. So that makes me think I’d always enjoy being involved with building stuff in some way.

In response to your last question, it might be both. I think my current job is a push factor, and the new field is a pull factor. As other commenters have rightly pointed out, I’m not enjoying my job. I don’t know if that means it’s wrong to recognise the signs that I might not be as motivated as I should be, though.

What else do you think would be helpful to know?

I have a small, high DPI, laptop screen (<14") and I haven’t been able to get all or even most of the software I use to scale properly. It always looks weird and eye strain is a real worry for me, so until this problem is solved I’ll be a casual