(January 25, 2019 at 4:55 am)Jade-Green Stone Wrote: Makes me wonder, are these things 'Addictions' or are we just throwing around a word like we do with the word 'Nazi' or 'Communist'. Because those two words are labeled to everything also. Is by throwing this word onto anything making it to where we are just losing meaning of what addiction really is?
People do overuse the word "addiction" just as they overuse the word "crazy." That can lead to desensitizing people to the real meaning of the word. What they are really saying is that something is so compelling it's like an addiction. It's a metaphor or simile.
Certain drugs are addictive: opioids, nicotine, alcohol and so on.
Nevertheless, there are some things which become addictive to certain people and not to others. They develop such strong habits that they lose self-control. Such things include sex, gambling, and pornography. I doubt smart phones and french fries fall into that category, though I might be mistaken about smart phones.
