Slashdot Mirror
On eBay Addiction
El Volio writes "Believe it or not, Worth magazine has a very funny, subtly insightful article on the phenomenon of eBay addiction... " I've witnessed said addiction in people. Its more than just a little disturbing. Its fairly similiar to the Day Trading addiction I've witnessed in roommates too (the worst part is they don't trade, they just reload all day long).
Collecting is a old habit, that gives many people a purpose in life. The main force behind ebay addiction (IMHO) is purpose. People like to having a strong feeling inside that drives them - and ebay, in paticular, collecting can give such a drive. Everyone can collect whereas many people can't be derive daily motivation from programming or singing or whatever occupation they have. With Collecting there is always a goal, but it's major strength is that the goal is unbounding.
I've seen, and been involved in ebay addiction all to often. But even before ebay i've witnessed collection addictions.
Joseph Elwell.
Crazy as it sounds, I'd like to see Rob eBay some Slashdot goodies for us to feed on. Heck, I'd bid. I'd even buy moderator points. YUMMY! 'Sides, can anyone imagine the fun that the Slashdot Effect would cause those poor guys? Better set up some eBay mirrors, Rob...
William Gibson had a very good piece in Wired on the same subject at http://www.wired.com/wired/archiv e/7.01/ebay.html. It also (very successfully and poetically, I thought) brought eBay addiction into a more far-reaching context. Plus it convinced me that he could do much, much more than sci-fi.
I have gone through an ebay addiction myself, although not hardly as extreme as the one described in this article. I have since recovered, and manage to maintain a more normal approach to things, using auction services when necessary, but not obsessively slavering over them.
I have put a little thought into just what makes these creations so addictive. I think alot of it has to do with a more general class of websites -- those which are vaguely interactive. Just look at how many of us spend our time reading and replying to stuff on Slashdot. Now amplify it to an arena in which the whole purpose is interaction, and you get the drawing force that much more strengthening.
Next is the fact that ebay is open 24 hours a day, and your auctions can change any time during that period -- the compulsion is very strong to just check it when you wake up, then when you get home in the evening. But then you're sitting at work, and you wonder if you've won the auction on that widget and you check... then 10 minutes later wonder once more what the current bid is. Put millions of people into an almost instantly responsive environment, and you can easily buld an obsession.
Furthermore, as has been mentioned previously, there is the sheer quantity of *junk*, especially collectables, on these places. Collecting things is an age-old hobby -- Og the Cave Man probably collected interesting rocks he found sitting outside the opening to his cave.
Finally, there is the financial aspect. It is possible to get rick quick... and to pay much more than you could ever want for something. This, especially, combined with the previous collectables factor, I think lead to a very strong motivation to keep coming back, and stay on top of an environment which changes every minute of every day.
Combine all of this with an addictive personality, which easily obsesses on the smallest thing, and you have a recipe for a broken home.
Funny, I sit around a lot too much just hitting the "Restart" button on my NT box at work. Am I addicted? No. Am I ashamed? Yes.
It shouldn't take 5 pages of text to tell that this person has a serious addiction and needs help. *reloading slashdot a few more times* Hrrmm... no new articles. *reloading slashdot again* Huh. Still no new articles... *reloading slashdot*.... That guy should really seek help - he'll spend all his time online doing nothing if he doesn't break the habit...
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