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

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more. Before I knew it, ChatGPT went from a useful tool to time-wasting a habit 11 hours ago 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? 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 :...

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