#goldmine — Public Fediverse posts

Here’s how ChatGPT went from a useful tool to a time-wasting habit – Android Authority

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General technology

Before I knew it, ChatGPT went from a useful tool to time-wasting a habit

AI became my new endless doom-scroll without me noticing.

By Andrew Grush, December 21, 2025•

There are plenty of mixed opinions on AI’s potential benefits and harms, but I’ll admit I’ve been somewhat hooked on it from day one. I tend to dive deep into subjects with AI for short bursts that might last hours or on-and-off for a few days, and then drift away for weeks or more when life gets busy with things that are obviously more important. Slowly but surely, though, I realized I was doing less and less when it came to other personal interests. While my AI use never disrupted my real-life obligations or relationships, it was starting to cannibalize my hobbies.

Recently, I started scrolling through my massive ChatGPT log entries. Some were simple entertainment, and others were deep thoughts that frankly got a bit heavy. There were more interactions than I’d ever care to count. That’s when the thought hit me: “Has this become my new doom scroll?” I started wondering how I got to that point, how much time I was wasting, and why it felt so addictive. Eventually, I took a deeper look at my AI usage patterns and then took a step back.

Do you think you’re dependent on or addicted to AI chatbots like ChatGPT?

144 votes

How I got here and why it proved so addictive for me

According to ChatGPT, about 75% of users ask for practical guidance, seek information, or get help with writing and work tasks. This overlaps heavily with what people traditionally use search engines for. As I already mentioned, I love diving deeply into random subjects, so I fall squarely in this camp. That said, I also use AI as a sounding board for my thoughts.

Typically, I put it in a mode like Professional or Efficient and add a few custom instructions so it isn’t overly sycophantic and will push back on my weaker ideas. This can involve history questions, alternate-history scenarios, or philosophical musings. Yes, I know how to party.

AI is fast and doesn’t judge. That’s quite the dopamine hit.

To be clear, I don’t rely on AI for anything truly important. I mostly use it for personal creative work or low-stakes questions I can verify elsewhere. As someone with ADHD who loves to daydream, I also often use it to explore hypothetical rabbit holes where accuracy isn’t the priority.

So how did this turn into an addiction? AI hits several brain-level incentives for me:

• It’s fast: I don’t have to wait for a human reply or dig across multiple sites for basic answers. Yes, fact-checking is still necessary, but it’s hard to deny the convenience.
• No judgment or boredom: My wife, mom, and friends will sometimes let me info-dump about space, philosophy, or whatever else I’m fixated on, but I quickly wear out my welcome. AI doesn’t get bored.
• It’s easy, low effort: My life has been extremely hectic lately. When I finally get a moment to unwind, I want something easy and slow-paced. In the past, that meant TV or books. Lately, it’s meant long conversations with a chatbot.

For me, this feels very similar to the dopamine loop people get from YouTube, TikTok, or doomscrolling social media. A rabbit hole here and there is harmless, whether web-based or AI-based. The problem is when an occasional time-sink becomes a regular habit that eats into everything else.

I kept noticing it was suddenly midnight or later and thinking, “Oh, I meant to play a board game with the kids,” or “watch that show with my wife,” but yet again, time had slipped away. I’m far from alone, either.

Government organizations have already warned that AI companions could represent a new frontier of digital addiction, and many teens are turning to AI chatbots as emotional outlets, offering a kind of pseudo-friendship traditionally reserved for human relationships. While I’ve never lost sight of the fact that the AI talking to me is a non-human algorithm designed to placate me, many people have also had their realities turned upside down by getting too cozy with the AI to the point they feel like it’s their closest friend. The term has been dubbed “AI psychosis” and is very real for those impacted by it.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Here’s how ChatGPT went from a useful tool to a time-wasting habit

Here’s how ChatGPT went from a useful tool to a time-wasting habit – Android Authority

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

General technology

Before I knew it, ChatGPT went from a useful tool to time-wasting a habit

AI became my new endless doom-scroll without me noticing.

By Andrew Grush, December 21, 2025•

There are plenty of mixed opinions on AI’s potential benefits and harms, but I’ll admit I’ve been somewhat hooked on it from day one. I tend to dive deep into subjects with AI for short bursts that might last hours or on-and-off for a few days, and then drift away for weeks or more when life gets busy with things that are obviously more important. Slowly but surely, though, I realized I was doing less and less when it came to other personal interests. While my AI use never disrupted my real-life obligations or relationships, it was starting to cannibalize my hobbies.

Recently, I started scrolling through my massive ChatGPT log entries. Some were simple entertainment, and others were deep thoughts that frankly got a bit heavy. There were more interactions than I’d ever care to count. That’s when the thought hit me: “Has this become my new doom scroll?” I started wondering how I got to that point, how much time I was wasting, and why it felt so addictive. Eventually, I took a deeper look at my AI usage patterns and then took a step back.

Do you think you’re dependent on or addicted to AI chatbots like ChatGPT?

144 votes

How I got here and why it proved so addictive for me

According to ChatGPT, about 75% of users ask for practical guidance, seek information, or get help with writing and work tasks. This overlaps heavily with what people traditionally use search engines for. As I already mentioned, I love diving deeply into random subjects, so I fall squarely in this camp. That said, I also use AI as a sounding board for my thoughts.

Typically, I put it in a mode like Professional or Efficient and add a few custom instructions so it isn’t overly sycophantic and will push back on my weaker ideas. This can involve history questions, alternate-history scenarios, or philosophical musings. Yes, I know how to party.

AI is fast and doesn’t judge. That’s quite the dopamine hit.

To be clear, I don’t rely on AI for anything truly important. I mostly use it for personal creative work or low-stakes questions I can verify elsewhere. As someone with ADHD who loves to daydream, I also often use it to explore hypothetical rabbit holes where accuracy isn’t the priority.

So how did this turn into an addiction? AI hits several brain-level incentives for me:

• It’s fast: I don’t have to wait for a human reply or dig across multiple sites for basic answers. Yes, fact-checking is still necessary, but it’s hard to deny the convenience.
• No judgment or boredom: My wife, mom, and friends will sometimes let me info-dump about space, philosophy, or whatever else I’m fixated on, but I quickly wear out my welcome. AI doesn’t get bored.
• It’s easy, low effort: My life has been extremely hectic lately. When I finally get a moment to unwind, I want something easy and slow-paced. In the past, that meant TV or books. Lately, it’s meant long conversations with a chatbot.

For me, this feels very similar to the dopamine loop people get from YouTube, TikTok, or doomscrolling social media. A rabbit hole here and there is harmless, whether web-based or AI-based. The problem is when an occasional time-sink becomes a regular habit that eats into everything else.

I kept noticing it was suddenly midnight or later and thinking, “Oh, I meant to play a board game with the kids,” or “watch that show with my wife,” but yet again, time had slipped away. I’m far from alone, either.

Government organizations have already warned that AI companions could represent a new frontier of digital addiction, and many teens are turning to AI chatbots as emotional outlets, offering a kind of pseudo-friendship traditionally reserved for human relationships. While I’ve never lost sight of the fact that the AI talking to me is a non-human algorithm designed to placate me, many people have also had their realities turned upside down by getting too cozy with the AI to the point they feel like it’s their closest friend. The term has been dubbed “AI psychosis” and is very real for those impacted by it.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Here’s how ChatGPT went from a useful tool to a time-wasting habit

Here’s how ChatGPT went from a useful tool to a time-wasting habit – Android Authority

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

General technology

Before I knew it, ChatGPT went from a useful tool to time-wasting a habit

AI became my new endless doom-scroll without me noticing.

By Andrew Grush, December 21, 2025•

There are plenty of mixed opinions on AI’s potential benefits and harms, but I’ll admit I’ve been somewhat hooked on it from day one. I tend to dive deep into subjects with AI for short bursts that might last hours or on-and-off for a few days, and then drift away for weeks or more when life gets busy with things that are obviously more important. Slowly but surely, though, I realized I was doing less and less when it came to other personal interests. While my AI use never disrupted my real-life obligations or relationships, it was starting to cannibalize my hobbies.

Recently, I started scrolling through my massive ChatGPT log entries. Some were simple entertainment, and others were deep thoughts that frankly got a bit heavy. There were more interactions than I’d ever care to count. That’s when the thought hit me: “Has this become my new doom scroll?” I started wondering how I got to that point, how much time I was wasting, and why it felt so addictive. Eventually, I took a deeper look at my AI usage patterns and then took a step back.

Do you think you’re dependent on or addicted to AI chatbots like ChatGPT?

144 votes

How I got here and why it proved so addictive for me

According to ChatGPT, about 75% of users ask for practical guidance, seek information, or get help with writing and work tasks. This overlaps heavily with what people traditionally use search engines for. As I already mentioned, I love diving deeply into random subjects, so I fall squarely in this camp. That said, I also use AI as a sounding board for my thoughts.

Typically, I put it in a mode like Professional or Efficient and add a few custom instructions so it isn’t overly sycophantic and will push back on my weaker ideas. This can involve history questions, alternate-history scenarios, or philosophical musings. Yes, I know how to party.

AI is fast and doesn’t judge. That’s quite the dopamine hit.

To be clear, I don’t rely on AI for anything truly important. I mostly use it for personal creative work or low-stakes questions I can verify elsewhere. As someone with ADHD who loves to daydream, I also often use it to explore hypothetical rabbit holes where accuracy isn’t the priority.

So how did this turn into an addiction? AI hits several brain-level incentives for me:

• It’s fast: I don’t have to wait for a human reply or dig across multiple sites for basic answers. Yes, fact-checking is still necessary, but it’s hard to deny the convenience.
• No judgment or boredom: My wife, mom, and friends will sometimes let me info-dump about space, philosophy, or whatever else I’m fixated on, but I quickly wear out my welcome. AI doesn’t get bored.
• It’s easy, low effort: My life has been extremely hectic lately. When I finally get a moment to unwind, I want something easy and slow-paced. In the past, that meant TV or books. Lately, it’s meant long conversations with a chatbot.

For me, this feels very similar to the dopamine loop people get from YouTube, TikTok, or doomscrolling social media. A rabbit hole here and there is harmless, whether web-based or AI-based. The problem is when an occasional time-sink becomes a regular habit that eats into everything else.

I kept noticing it was suddenly midnight or later and thinking, “Oh, I meant to play a board game with the kids,” or “watch that show with my wife,” but yet again, time had slipped away. I’m far from alone, either.

Government organizations have already warned that AI companions could represent a new frontier of digital addiction, and many teens are turning to AI chatbots as emotional outlets, offering a kind of pseudo-friendship traditionally reserved for human relationships. While I’ve never lost sight of the fact that the AI talking to me is a non-human algorithm designed to placate me, many people have also had their realities turned upside down by getting too cozy with the AI to the point they feel like it’s their closest friend. The term has been dubbed “AI psychosis” and is very real for those impacted by it.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Here’s how ChatGPT went from a useful tool to a time-wasting habit

Here’s how ChatGPT went from a useful tool to a time-wasting habit – Android Authority

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

General technology

Before I knew it, ChatGPT went from a useful tool to time-wasting a habit

AI became my new endless doom-scroll without me noticing.

By Andrew Grush, December 21, 2025•

There are plenty of mixed opinions on AI’s potential benefits and harms, but I’ll admit I’ve been somewhat hooked on it from day one. I tend to dive deep into subjects with AI for short bursts that might last hours or on-and-off for a few days, and then drift away for weeks or more when life gets busy with things that are obviously more important. Slowly but surely, though, I realized I was doing less and less when it came to other personal interests. While my AI use never disrupted my real-life obligations or relationships, it was starting to cannibalize my hobbies.

Recently, I started scrolling through my massive ChatGPT log entries. Some were simple entertainment, and others were deep thoughts that frankly got a bit heavy. There were more interactions than I’d ever care to count. That’s when the thought hit me: “Has this become my new doom scroll?” I started wondering how I got to that point, how much time I was wasting, and why it felt so addictive. Eventually, I took a deeper look at my AI usage patterns and then took a step back.

Do you think you’re dependent on or addicted to AI chatbots like ChatGPT?

144 votes

How I got here and why it proved so addictive for me

According to ChatGPT, about 75% of users ask for practical guidance, seek information, or get help with writing and work tasks. This overlaps heavily with what people traditionally use search engines for. As I already mentioned, I love diving deeply into random subjects, so I fall squarely in this camp. That said, I also use AI as a sounding board for my thoughts.

Typically, I put it in a mode like Professional or Efficient and add a few custom instructions so it isn’t overly sycophantic and will push back on my weaker ideas. This can involve history questions, alternate-history scenarios, or philosophical musings. Yes, I know how to party.

AI is fast and doesn’t judge. That’s quite the dopamine hit.

To be clear, I don’t rely on AI for anything truly important. I mostly use it for personal creative work or low-stakes questions I can verify elsewhere. As someone with ADHD who loves to daydream, I also often use it to explore hypothetical rabbit holes where accuracy isn’t the priority.

So how did this turn into an addiction? AI hits several brain-level incentives for me:

• It’s fast: I don’t have to wait for a human reply or dig across multiple sites for basic answers. Yes, fact-checking is still necessary, but it’s hard to deny the convenience.
• No judgment or boredom: My wife, mom, and friends will sometimes let me info-dump about space, philosophy, or whatever else I’m fixated on, but I quickly wear out my welcome. AI doesn’t get bored.
• It’s easy, low effort: My life has been extremely hectic lately. When I finally get a moment to unwind, I want something easy and slow-paced. In the past, that meant TV or books. Lately, it’s meant long conversations with a chatbot.

For me, this feels very similar to the dopamine loop people get from YouTube, TikTok, or doomscrolling social media. A rabbit hole here and there is harmless, whether web-based or AI-based. The problem is when an occasional time-sink becomes a regular habit that eats into everything else.

I kept noticing it was suddenly midnight or later and thinking, “Oh, I meant to play a board game with the kids,” or “watch that show with my wife,” but yet again, time had slipped away. I’m far from alone, either.

Government organizations have already warned that AI companions could represent a new frontier of digital addiction, and many teens are turning to AI chatbots as emotional outlets, offering a kind of pseudo-friendship traditionally reserved for human relationships. While I’ve never lost sight of the fact that the AI talking to me is a non-human algorithm designed to placate me, many people have also had their realities turned upside down by getting too cozy with the AI to the point they feel like it’s their closest friend. The term has been dubbed “AI psychosis” and is very real for those impacted by it.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Here’s how ChatGPT went from a useful tool to a time-wasting habit

Here’s how ChatGPT went from a useful tool to a time-wasting habit – Android Authority

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

General technology

Before I knew it, ChatGPT went from a useful tool to time-wasting a habit

AI became my new endless doom-scroll without me noticing.

By Andrew Grush, December 21, 2025•

There are plenty of mixed opinions on AI’s potential benefits and harms, but I’ll admit I’ve been somewhat hooked on it from day one. I tend to dive deep into subjects with AI for short bursts that might last hours or on-and-off for a few days, and then drift away for weeks or more when life gets busy with things that are obviously more important. Slowly but surely, though, I realized I was doing less and less when it came to other personal interests. While my AI use never disrupted my real-life obligations or relationships, it was starting to cannibalize my hobbies.

Recently, I started scrolling through my massive ChatGPT log entries. Some were simple entertainment, and others were deep thoughts that frankly got a bit heavy. There were more interactions than I’d ever care to count. That’s when the thought hit me: “Has this become my new doom scroll?” I started wondering how I got to that point, how much time I was wasting, and why it felt so addictive. Eventually, I took a deeper look at my AI usage patterns and then took a step back.

Do you think you’re dependent on or addicted to AI chatbots like ChatGPT?

144 votes

How I got here and why it proved so addictive for me

According to ChatGPT, about 75% of users ask for practical guidance, seek information, or get help with writing and work tasks. This overlaps heavily with what people traditionally use search engines for. As I already mentioned, I love diving deeply into random subjects, so I fall squarely in this camp. That said, I also use AI as a sounding board for my thoughts.

Typically, I put it in a mode like Professional or Efficient and add a few custom instructions so it isn’t overly sycophantic and will push back on my weaker ideas. This can involve history questions, alternate-history scenarios, or philosophical musings. Yes, I know how to party.

AI is fast and doesn’t judge. That’s quite the dopamine hit.

To be clear, I don’t rely on AI for anything truly important. I mostly use it for personal creative work or low-stakes questions I can verify elsewhere. As someone with ADHD who loves to daydream, I also often use it to explore hypothetical rabbit holes where accuracy isn’t the priority.

So how did this turn into an addiction? AI hits several brain-level incentives for me:

• It’s fast: I don’t have to wait for a human reply or dig across multiple sites for basic answers. Yes, fact-checking is still necessary, but it’s hard to deny the convenience.
• No judgment or boredom: My wife, mom, and friends will sometimes let me info-dump about space, philosophy, or whatever else I’m fixated on, but I quickly wear out my welcome. AI doesn’t get bored.
• It’s easy, low effort: My life has been extremely hectic lately. When I finally get a moment to unwind, I want something easy and slow-paced. In the past, that meant TV or books. Lately, it’s meant long conversations with a chatbot.

For me, this feels very similar to the dopamine loop people get from YouTube, TikTok, or doomscrolling social media. A rabbit hole here and there is harmless, whether web-based or AI-based. The problem is when an occasional time-sink becomes a regular habit that eats into everything else.

I kept noticing it was suddenly midnight or later and thinking, “Oh, I meant to play a board game with the kids,” or “watch that show with my wife,” but yet again, time had slipped away. I’m far from alone, either.

Government organizations have already warned that AI companions could represent a new frontier of digital addiction, and many teens are turning to AI chatbots as emotional outlets, offering a kind of pseudo-friendship traditionally reserved for human relationships. While I’ve never lost sight of the fact that the AI talking to me is a non-human algorithm designed to placate me, many people have also had their realities turned upside down by getting too cozy with the AI to the point they feel like it’s their closest friend. The term has been dubbed “AI psychosis” and is very real for those impacted by it.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Here’s how ChatGPT went from a useful tool to a time-wasting habit

An #Ontario court has been hearing a #legal case against #BarrickGold for its role in the killing of over 77 at its #NorthMara #GoldMine in #Tanzania.

Cassels Chair in #MiningLaw and Finance at Western #Law, Sara Ghebremusse joined Talking #ForeignPolicy to discuss the case against Barrick, the difficulty of holding #CanadianMining companies accountable in #Canadian courts and how Ottawa promotes a controversial international #mining industry.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AU934E9tuO8

#CDNpoli #EnvironmentalRacism #Murders #Ecocide #CorporateGreed #GreedKills #IndustrialMining #Geopolitics #GlobalNorthAbuses #GlobalSouth #Africa #SocialJustice #EcoJustice #Accountability #BusinessEthics #Immoral #Unethical #CorporateCrimes

[video] #Quechan Elder Urges Solidarity in Face of #Mining Efforts

#SMPGold’s #OroCruz Project Threatens #SacredLands, #PrestonArrowWeed Says

by Juan Valencia on October 9, 2023

"IMPERIAL COUNTY — Imagine Jerusalem burning. Imagine Mecca, Bethlehem — any of these cities important to the history and faith of their respective religions — being destroyed, disrespectfully invaded, and irrevocably altered for the sake of exploration, extraction, and #mining.

T"hough these are far-fetched and horrific developments to the imagination, 83-year-old Preston Arrow-Weed — the Quechan tribal elder, cultural bearer, singer of the old songs, as well as author, actor and playwright — today paints a similarly bleak picture regarding the threats being made to his holy place of worship.

"This place is located here in the desert outskirts of #ImperialCounty and in the neighboring #YumaCounty.

"Southern Empire Resources Corp. (SMP Gold) is a company based out of British Columbia, Canada, which for years now has been attempting to mine for gold within these Imperial County areas, specifically the #CargoMuchacho and #IndianPass regions, in a project of mineral exploration for the purposes of extracting gold that they are calling the Oro Cruz Project.

"'We firmly believe that Oro Cruz has exploration potential for more than a million ounces,' states SMP Gold’s project mission on its website. 'We’ll explore the property using modern geological theory and high tech methods of exploration, and see what we can do.'

"For millennia, the Indian Pass area in eastern Imperial County, where SMP Gold plans to drill and disturb the habitat, has held religious and historical significance for the Quechan Tribe. The area contains sleeping circles, #geoglyphs and pottery shards left behind by the tribe’s ancestors, to name some #artifacts."

Read more:
https://calexicochronicle.com/2023/10/09/quechan-elder-urges-solidarity-in-face-of-mining-efforts/

Video:
https://youtu.be/rOIEx1pmVEI?si=9R6b8QULnuJIZHQW

#California #EnvironmentalRacism #WaterIsLife #CulturalGenocide #IndigenousNews #NoConsent #GoldMine #GoldMining #MercuryPollution #Cyanide