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Solving Tech Addiction Is an Underappreciated Market Opportunity

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Re: Solving Tech Addiction Is an Underappreciated Market Opportunity

#211

Post by njarboe »

ip26 wrote: post #146
ddtaylor wrote: post #60

Having worked on a product for 3 years that attempts to target this market I can tell you the sad reality, is that nobody really cares. Sure, there are clickbait headlines and companies/parents will feign interest, but when it comes to actually paying for a product or making any tangible change to usage habits, our numbers prove that nobody even tries. For full disclosure our product turns the Internet off until they…

I cut myself off time to time in various ways. I canceled home internet for a few months one time, another I switched to a flip phone for a month. I'll frequently remove Chrome from my phone. I have tried the greyscale thing many times. Etc. What makes all this Hard is the plethora of legitimate use. When I canceled home internet, I was unable to log in to work from home (five minutes a day in the evenings helps keep…

A similar situation to eating too much. You have to eat and so many events include food. Eliminating it from your life as a way to stem the over use is not practical.

Re: Solving Tech Addiction Is an Underappreciated Market Opportunity

#212

Post by laurex »

Is the problem to be solved actually "tech addiction" or is it really "feeling like time was spent in a way that was unsatisfying or even self-destructive?" In other words, the market opportunity isn't really "tech that curbs tech usage," it's more "helping me to feel like doing something restorative, meaningful, or rewarding, whether it's tech-based or not." Addiction itself rarely is treated simply by removing the substance: there's psychological reasons why a person is attracted to checking out versus being present or mindful. Treating the cause is quite a different proposition.

Re: Solving Tech Addiction Is an Underappreciated Market Opportunity

#214

Post by adamsea »

> “Dieting may be the most helpful analogy here.”

Considering the massive flimflam industry around dieting, deceptive food company practices to make unhealthy food seem healthy, and the proliferation of ‘food deserts’ or parts of the country where finding healthy food at the grocery store (let alone a restaurant) is a challenge, dieting seems like the worst possible analogy.

Unless it is an analogy for how to create an industry to profit off of human weakness and struggle without actually solving the root issue. Then it is an excellent analogy.

Re: Solving Tech Addiction Is an Underappreciated Market Opportunity

#216

Post by sjg007 »

buboard wrote: post #74

How many businesses can I remember around addictions? What s the most famous anti-TV addiction company? Anti-cigarettes? Anti-sex addiction? If it's none, then the opportunity is not underappreciated. Making an anti-addiction product is by its nature the opposite of a sellable product. And the people who have the frontal lobe to willingly go against their addiction, have already solved their problem.

Soboxone, wellbutrin.

Re: Solving Tech Addiction Is an Underappreciated Market Opportunity

#217

Post by wott »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #125
bluntfang wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I prefer regular commercial-grade pizza Have you considered you like commercial grade food because of the possibly addictive ingredients they use, like excessive sugar and salt?

I have considered it and, seeing such pizza made many times, I discounted it. They use the same ingredients you'd buy to put in your sandwitch; the same ingredients you get in "local cousine" when you travel.

Please leave my local cousine alone, even if she is in the cuisine ;-)

Re: Solving Tech Addiction Is an Underappreciated Market Opportunity

#218

Post by sjg007 »

shimon wrote: post #141
buboard wrote: post #74

How many businesses can I remember around addictions? What s the most famous anti-TV addiction company? Anti-cigarettes? Anti-sex addiction? If it's none, then the opportunity is not underappreciated. Making an anti-addiction product is by its nature the opposite of a sellable product. And the people who have the frontal lobe to willingly go against their addiction, have already solved their problem.

The best examples are probably in diet, e.g. Weight Watchers, and Jenny Craig. There's a huge industry around drug & alcohol rehab, though it's not easy to see which parts could support startup-type scale. A bunch of these needs are served in the healthcare industry, often with much room for improvement. Healthcare is a totally massive industry. It's not an easy place to build a business, but there are lots of resour…

You need MDs to prescribe the meds known to help curb the addiction and then you need support systems. Maybe that support system could be an app combined with family/friend support?

Re: Solving Tech Addiction Is an Underappreciated Market Opportunity

#219

Post by x0 »

buboard wrote: post #74

How many businesses can I remember around addictions? What s the most famous anti-TV addiction company? Anti-cigarettes? Anti-sex addiction? If it's none, then the opportunity is not underappreciated. Making an anti-addiction product is by its nature the opposite of a sellable product. And the people who have the frontal lobe to willingly go against their addiction, have already solved their problem.

Nicorette, nicorette, you can beat the cigarette

Re: Solving Tech Addiction Is an Underappreciated Market Opportunity

#220

Post by sjg007 »

AlwaysRock wrote: post #49
Bakary wrote: post #6

In my own experience struggling with addiction I've found that it is a symptom rather than a cause. Once you craft a life that is actually stimulating the tech loses its hold over you pretty quickly, if not instantly (for example when you go on a weekend outing in nature and completely forget your phone). Of course, the time and energy wasted due to the dysfunctional behavior presents a chicken-and-egg roadblock agai…

This is what I've realized about myself and addition. I get into new things fast and tend to over commit or over indulge early on and once I realize it pull back. I've got it under control now because I realized my excessive drinking or drug usage was in large part because I was bored. Shit television or movies are much more entertaining when drunk or high. Social engagements that are not mentally stimulating to me a…

Started for me with Slashdot, then reddit, then HN. HN was a safer space than reddit. The /r subreddits seem to be ok now for specific topics.. Maybe specific researchers on Twitter are ok too.

Started for my Dad with email, then the blackberry, now the iPhone/FB etc...

Before that you could argue cable tv (for most kids after school)..

Don't forget about Netflix binges today etc...

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