Addiction — Blog — Healy Chen

Hit button, get reward

You would be mistaken to think that addiction to short-form videos like TikTok or Instagram Reels is an American phenomenon. I get it: it's easy to paint that stereotype upon us. A nation so addicted to food (we are fat) would then easily be inclined towards addiction to TikTok. Fill every void in your day with an endless scroll, with quick dopamine hits one after another. Congratulations, we've officially solved the problem of boredom! So long as you have the money for a smartphone (public libraries offer free Internet), you'll never have to deal with the demons in your mind ever again.

Well, it's not just Americans with this zombie dopamine drip-drip going on. The fine citizens of Guangzhou (China) and Seoul (South Korea) are also seemingly obsessed with the short-form never ending loop. The subway trains are full of passengers staring at their phones, glued to latest video served up by the algorithm. You know you have a safe society when people can stay utterly enmeshed to their devices on public transport, without any fear of it getting stolen. You would be crazy to do the same here in the States. I've unfortunately have seen my share of phone snatching. Pro tip: at least don't be near the doors if you're doing to be staring at your phone.

I completely understand the allure of short-form videos. It's just another thing of social media created to keep us mindlessly occupied. I don't pretend to be a superior breed simply because I don't partake in TikTok or YouTube Shorts. There's no illusions here that browsing Reddit or going on X isn't the very same thing. We're all seeking novelty and excitement to placate the void when we are in between tasks. Heck, sometimes we even multitask. Taking a dump at the toilet has forever changed since the invention of the smartphone.

Here's a challenge: next time you poop, stare at nothing.

And this might not even be a problem that needs solving. Addictive qualities do not always create harm. Otherwise you would have to kill me to pry my morning coffee away. Social media is part of the fabric of modern life. Get over it. The genie is much too fat to go back into the bottle. Just because you're able to go an entire plane ride without looking or listening to anything doesn't make you some modern monk worthy of praise. If anything, you might be the weird nail that's sticking out, begging to be hammered.

Matthew Perry

I am remised in writing about the untimely passing of Matthew Perry. My friends and I grew up watching him on the show Friends. It’s tremendously sad: a person who gave so much laughter and joy to the world cannot keep any for himself. Perry’s addiction to alcohol and drugs is widely known, so when I saw the news of his death, my first inclination was: “He could never outrun his demons.”

(To be sure: as of this writing, the cause of death is still under investigation. Perry was found unconscious in a hot tub.)

I haven’t the slightest idea what it’s like to be in that deep a mental funk, be it substance addiction, or severe depression. I have friends who are on anti-depressive drugs, and it’s always been a challenge for me to empathize with their plight. It’s like a fully healthy person having to level with a terminally-ill patient. The wavelength of understanding is completely different. All I can offer to my friends are platitudes. Sometimes I would feel guilty to be “normal” and “happy”, when they are in such a rut.

Perry surely had close friends that know of his situation and want him to get well. But they couldn’t do anything for him, just as I cannot do anything for my friends facing mental challenges. The battle cannot only be fought by the person dealing with the issues. Those of us on the sidelines can only wish them the best, and be there when asked.

And if it comes to an end, it was beautiful while it happened. Matthew Perry leaves an enormous legacy of comedic and acting talent for generations to enjoy. Rest well.