Return-Path: Delivered-To: alvarochf@traceseis.com Received: from cs510.bluehost.com by cs510.bluehost.com with LMTP id uIubL49RF2nz5wEAWiBQxw (envelope-from ) for ; Fri, 14 Nov 2025 08:58:07 -0700 Return-path: Envelope-to: alvarochf@traceseis.com Delivery-date: Fri, 14 Nov 2025 08:58:07 -0700 Received: from m244-29.mailgun.net ([159.112.244.29]:40756) by cs510.bluehost.com with esmtps (TLS1.2) tls TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256 (Exim 4.98.2) (envelope-from ) id 1vJwBb-00000000WTZ-2E6S for alvarochf@traceseis.com; Fri, 14 Nov 2025 08:58:07 -0700 DKIM-Signature: a=rsa-sha256; v=1; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=mg-d0.substack.com; q=dns/txt; s=mailo; t=1763135870; x=1763143070; h=List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe: List-Post: List-Id: List-Archive: List-Owner: Reply-To: In-Reply-To: References: Sender: Sender: Date: Message-Id: To: To: From: From: Subject: Subject: Content-Type: Mime-Version; bh=OGECt3gvBVXyd7LA9tEq4DnXtaO+J+oxis448Y0axeQ=; b=TdXjUzBGYeitB6mtZbSBz53aGMj7H64hlvP5NCkHCQYWyHjtWJrkp825hXljmdybcsr6pnvvbZJA3cxylwxGFLfqiMxGVSQKm5KQmonz4EiMB678WPdSx7n+fo1hVQ/uqpt14S79hObsrJjvZBQm5DONHG3+/p5w66qN4hXE0aA= X-Mailgun-Sid: WyIyYjhlZSIsImFsdmFyb2NoZkB0cmFjZXNlaXMuY29tIiwiNjNhZjVkIl0= Received: by e4790147bab3eb0890f321c9833ceabe6f16d9b2f14978ce3965714ce1ef64b8 with HTTP id 6917517ea0461c664cd4d860; Fri, 14 Nov 2025 15:57:49 GMT X-Mailgun-Sending-Ip: 159.112.244.29 X-Mailgun-Batch-Id: 6917517e7dd2d19192c5aa0a Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="6787085819e345176126a73705bfbaaafdcc19ad39d9160ba46958bf9838" Subject: What You Want To Want From: Cosmos Institute To: alvarochf@traceseis.com X-Mailgun-Tag: post X-Mailgun-Track-Clicks: false Message-Id: <20251114150334.3.c5dbd41b88a17658@mg-d0.substack.com> Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2025 15:03:34 +0000 Feedback-Id: post-178792853:cat-post:pub-2225794:substack Sender: Cosmos Institute References: In-Reply-To: Reply-To: Cosmos Institute List-Owner: List-Url: List-Archive: List-Id: List-Post: List-Unsubscribe: List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click X-Mailgun-Variables: {"category": "post", "email_generated_at": "1763135869709", "is_freemail": "true", "post_audience": "everyone", "post_id": "178792853", "post_type": "newsletter", "pub_community_enabled": "true", "publication_id": "2225794", "subdomain": "cosmosinstitute", "user_id": "347258985"} --6787085819e345176126a73705bfbaaafdcc19ad39d9160ba46958bf9838 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable View this post on the web at https://blog.cosmos-institute.org/p/what-you-w= ant-to-want =E2=80=9COnly two industries call their customers users: drug dealers and t= echnology companies.=E2=80=9D The saying is provocative, but is the compari= son accurate? Harry Frankfurt, the late American philosopher, distinguished between first= -order desires (what we want in the moment) and second-order desires (what = we want to want). In his framework [ https://substack.com/redirect/b45e8a1f= -ea91-45e2-a93e-1a8c99bc70cc?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbGj64cTNudluPwbMY= WklSu8UKGoFv6eWS-HyoA ], =E2=80=9Caddiction=E2=80=9D occurs when an agent h= as second-order desires but cannot make them effective. It describes a stru= ctural incapacity to shape one=E2=80=99s will rather than a simple failure = of resolve. To know whether we=E2=80=99re addicted, we need to ask two thin= gs: whether the self that reflects on our desires endorses our appetite for= Twitter or TikTok, and whether that self can make its endorsement stick. Subscribe to Cosmos Institute to receive new essays from our network The bear case: we=E2=80=99re all addicts Modern technology differs fundamentally from its precursors. These differen= ces flow from a combination of fidelity (content is stickier, more varied, = and of higher quality), patterns of usage (we need to use some kind of scre= en to get by in the modern world), and the role of algorithmic mediation [ = https://substack.com/redirect/c57edcef-5458-4a0a-8759-85777a8aae5c?j=3DeyJ1= IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbGj64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv6eWS-HyoA ] (the system i= s actively seeking to retain our attention). Modern media is brighter, faster, and more enveloping than anything that ca= me before. A radio emits sound from the corner of the room, but a phone is = a high-definition light source held inches from the face. The colors are ri= ch and the sound crisp, which means that the baseline level of stimulation = is greater than both TVs of the past and the stuff of everyday life. As Mat= t Groening=E2=80=99s Futurama put it in the middle of the 2000s: =E2=80=9Cb= ut this is HD TV, it has better resolution than the real world.=E2=80=9D We rely on our devices as the basic interfaces through which work, communic= ation, and navigation now occur, which means they occupy the same cognitive= space as tools we genuinely need in order to function. Email and payroll a= nd maps and childcare photos all arrive through the same surface that also = contains YouTube or TikTok. The boundary between instrument and diversion i= s getting harder to pin down, and this blurring of worlds makes disengageme= nt harder than with older media. But perhaps the most worrisome element of modern technology is the role of = algorithmic mediation. AI undergirds five hours a day that people spend on = social media, streaming video, and music platforms globally. Even assuming = that only about two-thirds of this time is genuinely steered by recommendat= ion engines, that tells us that roughly one-fifth of our waking life is alr= eady mediated by algorithms. The most obvious instance of their stickiness can be seen in social media, = where the feed presents a continuous stream that proactively selects what y= ou will see next before you have even decided to keep looking. It learns wh= at prolongs a session, refines itself around micro-signals of interest, and= then delivers more of the same with a latency so low that the user never h= as to re-enter the process of active deliberation. The choice is nominally = still ours, yet the conditions in which we make that choice have been engin= eered so that abstention is effortful and continuation frictionless. Some research suggests [ https://substack.com/redirect/490bff67-b44e-4ff5-8= 80d-e5812596a391?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbGj64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv= 6eWS-HyoA ] that smartphone use encourages the release of dopamine. Many ta= ke this to mean phone use is similar to drug use in that both produce simil= ar physical responses. But more recent research shows [ https://substack.co= m/redirect/f0f3b387-d091-404e-aa46-819655d56b20?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9d= EDbGj64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv6eWS-HyoA ] that the popular story gets the = mechanism backwards. We often talk as though dopamine delivers a feeling of= pleasure in the moment, like a chemical boost handed out for pressing the = right button. In reality, dopamine tells the brain that something in the en= vironment is worth pursuing and that the next moment might contain a reward= =2E It is tied to anticipation rather t= han satisfaction insofar as it amplifi= es the urge to keep seeking before any pleasure has actually arrived. This distinction matters because it shows that the smartphone keeps us enga= ged by sustaining anticipation of reward rather than delivering satisfactio= n. Anticipation still requires the user=E2=80=99s ongoing participation, wh= ich means some form of will is present. With drug use, the stimulus saturat= es the system so strongly that reflection is displaced; with phone usage, t= he stimulus is weak enough that reflection can still intervene. Certainly most people want to reduce their smartphone use, with one survey = [ https://substack.com/redirect/8297355f-fca1-4c16-a39a-f2fdcdd1ef6d?j=3Dey= J1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbGj64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv6eWS-HyoA ] of 3,000+ s= tudents finding that 74% of the respondents reported having actively tried = to reduce time spent on their mobile. A separate poll [ https://substack.co= m/redirect/62cafbdb-6cc3-4680-8ecb-103c27271f39?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9d= EDbGj64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv6eWS-HyoA ] of U.S. adults found that 44% sa= id they could not go 24 hours without their phone, and three-quarters (76%)= reported feeling nervous if they didn=E2=80=99t know where their phone was= =2E But wanting to reduce something is not the same as being unable to. Most pe= ople also say they want to sleep more or drink less, and we do not treat ev= ery shortfall between intention and behavior as evidence of addiction. This= suggests that addiction=E2=80=94defined as the structural inability to mak= e one=E2=80=99s second-order desires effective=E2=80=94must involve the con= sistent overruling of our higher order wants. The existence of regret does = not by itself prove compulsion. It may simply show that people are negotiat= ing competing goods in a world where attention is genuinely scarce. The bull case: we are the captains of our fate Even with the much maligned smartphone, some of our use is clearly function= al rather than compulsive. People book flights, check maps, or send emails = without having to be =E2=80=9Caddicted=E2=80=9D to their little black scree= n. Habit only resembles addiction when the user not only acts against their= better judgment but cannot sustain the effort to bring their conduct in li= ne with it. Much of ordinary phone use probably does not meet that threshol= d. We also retain autonomy by deleting apps and setting limits, which allows u= s to redesign the environment in which our impulses arise and to bring it c= loser to the shape of the life we say we want. But we should be cautious ab= out treating acts of self-correction as decisive proof of freedom. Addicts = also have moments of resolve when they flush the bottle, delete the dealer= =E2=80=99s number, or announce a fresh start before giving into temptation.= The presence of episodic self-control is not enough; what we are looking f= or is whether the higher-order stance can stably govern behavior rather tha= n merely interrupt it. This matters because it shows that second-order desires can still intervene= and restructure the field of options, pruning temptations and changing the= default conditions in which we choose. If that=E2=80=99s right, it suggest= s that technology can also train self-governance in favor of the person we = wish to be. We can uninstall apps, mute notifications, and set hard boundar= ies to allow autonomy to become more available the more often it is exercis= ed. In this setting, friction of use is not =E2=80=9Cproof of capture=E2=80= =9D but the stuff through which discipline is formed. I call this argument = the =E2=80=9Cskill issue=E2=80=9D objection, the idea that technology affor= ds us the opportunity to strengthen our will by resisting it. Of course, not everyone is equally positioned to treat distraction as a tra= ining ground. It is one thing to say that autonomy can be cultivated throug= h resistance, but another to assume that most people have the spare cogniti= ve bandwidth to run that drill dozens of times a day. The same environment = that allows for will-strengthening also produces a constant tax on attentio= n, and there is a real question about whether repeated micronegotiations of= impulse count as =E2=80=9Cpractice=E2=80=9D or as exhaustion. This objection has force, but it overlooks that autonomy has never been a m= atter of raw willpower alone. It has always depended on structuring the env= ironment so that good choices become easier to make. We do not become virtu= ous by staring temptation in the face all day, but neither do we become vir= tuous by hiding from it. What matters is shaping the environment so that ri= ght action is easier to choose, and then choosing it often enough that it b= ecomes part of one=E2=80=99s character. Phones, laptops, and even televisions are all useful in their own ways. The= y let us navigate unknown places, coordinate care, learn on demand, transac= t instantly, and remain reachable in moments where distance once meant isol= ation. These technologies widen the range of actions available to an ordina= ry person and let us pursue goods that would otherwise be out of reach. It= =E2=80=99s true that widening the range of options also widens the range of= tensions, but it=E2=80=99s also true that plural goods will always pull ag= ainst each other. Addiction risks mischaracterizing our situation because most people can reg= ain control without external treatment, institutional support, or withdrawa= l management. A single act of reconfiguration, like deleting the app or cha= nging the setting, actually changes the behavior. It=E2=80=99s annoying and= requires conscious effort, but the fact that it works tells us that we may= not be =E2=80=9Caddicted=E2=80=9D in the traditional sense. More than that= , phones are platforms. You can be addicted to certain applications that ru= n on the phone, like gambling apps, rather than the phone itself. The Frankfurt framework The essential problem is whether technology reflects, forms, or distorts ou= r preferences. If we accept that technology influences desire, we need to k= now the extent to which particular influences are compatible with reflectiv= e endorsement. In Frankfurt=E2=80=99s terms, the question is whether our fi= rst-order appetite can still be brought under the guidance of a second-orde= r stance about the kind of person we intend to be. Influence alone is not the issue (influence is, after all, a permanent feat= ure of human life). The issue is whether the influence leaves room for refl= ection to take hold, whether there is still a point at which we can say =E2= =80=9Cthis is a desire I stand behind=E2=80=9D or =E2=80=9Cthis is a desire= I would rather reshape.=E2=80=9D Addiction appears when the first-order im= pulse races ahead of our capacity to judge it. We might say our relationship to technology is neither addiction nor full i= ndependence. For many people the phone does not overpower the will, but it = does outrun it when desire arrives faster than evaluation (even though refl= ection can still reassert itself after the fact). We redesign our digital a= nd physical environments because the second-order volitions, however contes= ted among themselves, still hold authority. There may already be a tail of = users for whom reflection no longer reliably intervenes, just as there is a= tail of pathological gamblers. The claim is not that no one is addicted, b= ut that addiction is not the median case. The addiction framing fails because most people can still bring their behav= ior back under reflective control, which means the higher-order will still = governs the lower appetite. Where in drug use the craving generally displac= es reflection, in our use of technology human reflection can often interrup= t and override our immediate wants. In this sense, because degrees of compu= lsion vary dramatically, it=E2=80=99s wrong to say that most of us are tech= nology junkies. The stakes are high, the waters rough, but the choice is ou= rs. Cosmos Institute [ https://substack.com/redirect/48439eeb-013d-445d-8114-cf= f1eacdab7f?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbGj64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv6eWS-H= yoA ] is the Academy for Philosopher-Builders, technologists building AI fo= r human flourishing. We run fellowships, fund fast prototypes, and host sem= inars with institutions like Oxford, Aspen Institute, and Liberty Fund. Subscribe for updates and essays: Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9ibG9nLmNvc21= vcy1pbnN0aXR1dGUub3JnL2FjdGlvbi9kaXNhYmxlX2VtYWlsP3Rva2VuPWV5SjFjMlZ5WDJsa0= lqb3pORGN5TlRnNU9EVXNJbkJ2YzNSZmFXUWlPakUzT0RjNU1qZzFNeXdpYVdGMElqb3hOell6T= VRNMU9EWTVMQ0psZUhBaU9qRTNPVFEyTnpFNE5qa3NJbWx6Y3lJNkluQjFZaTB5TWpJMU56azBJ= aXdpYzNWaUlqb2laR2x6WVdKc1pWOWxiV0ZwYkNKOS5YM0RjUVZnTHlROWRpOWNDYVJKQVZpY2d= 5Z3paQnd2MEtwV01ZVXFVZWo0IiwicCI6MTc4NzkyODUzLCJzIjoyMjI1Nzk0LCJmIjp0cnVlLC= J1IjozNDcyNTg5ODUsImlhdCI6MTc2MzEzNTg2OSwiZXhwIjoyMDc4NzExODY5LCJpc3MiOiJwd= WItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.b7b55uQUHh8Oj6uPuSF5msLlqLuaFoZmOQfFt= NWTK2U? --6787085819e345176126a73705bfbaaafdcc19ad39d9160ba46958bf9838 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable What You Want To Want</t= itle><style> @media (max-width: 1024px) { .typography .pullquote-align-left, .typography.editor .pullquote-align-left, .typography .pullquote-align-right, 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margin: 0 auto 16px auto; } } @media (max-width: 420px) { body .markup .install-substack-app-embed .install-substack-app-embed-text= { margin: 0 0 12px 0; max-width: 100%; width: auto; text-align: center; } } @media (max-width: 420px) { body .markup .install-substack-app-embed .install-substack-app-embed-link= { display: flex; justify-content: center; } } @media screen and (min-width: 500px) { body .header a.logo { width: 42px; height: 42px; border-radius: 12px; } } @media screen and (max-width: 420px) { body .subscription-receipt table:first-of-type .subscription-amount .subs= cription-discount { width: 72px !important; } } @media screen and (min-width: 481px) { body .share-button-container { height: auto; } } @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { body .share-button-container .separator { display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; height: 8px !important; border-left: none !important; } } @media screen and (max-width: 650px) { .digest .item .post-meta-item.audience { display: 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and (max-width: 650px) { .post-ufi.single-full-width-button .post-ufi-button-wrapper { width: 100%; padding: 16px; } .post-ufi.single-full-width-button .post-ufi-button-wrapper:empty { display: none; } .post-ufi.single-full-width-button .post-ufi-button { width: 100%; justify-content: center; } } @media screen and (max-width: 768px) { .file-embed-wrapper { padding: 0; } } @media screen and (max-width: 768px) { .file-embed-wrapper-editor { padding: 0; } } @media screen and (max-width: 768px) { .file-embed-wrapper-editor:active { padding: 0; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 650px) { .file-embed-button.wide, .file-embed-error-button.wide { display: none; } } @media only screen and (min-width: 630px) { .file-embed-button.narrow, .file-embed-error-button.narrow { display: none; } } @media screen and (min-width: 541px) { .audio-player-wrapper .audio-player { min-width: 500px; } } @media screen and (max-width: 650px) { .audio-player-wrapper .audio-player .audio-player-progress { border-left-width: 16px; border-right-width: 16px; } } @media screen and (max-width: 650px) { .audio-player-wrapper .audio-player .audio-player-progress .audio-player-= progress-bar .audio-player-progress-bar-popup { top: -54px; } } @media screen and (max-width: 650px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-progress { border-left-width: 16px; border-right-width: 16px; } } @media screen and (max-width: 650px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-progress .audio-p= layer-progress-bar .audio-player-progress-bar-popup { top: -54px; } } @media (min-width: 250px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player { padding: 32px; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group { display: flex; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group .button:last-of-type= { display: block; } } @media (min-width: 300px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group { display: block; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group .button:first-of-typ= e { display: block; } } @media (min-width: 350px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-substack-logo { display: block; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-title { margin-top: 16px; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-hero-image-contai= ner { padding-top: 15%; width: 15%; display: block; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group .button:first-of-typ= e { display: block; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-substack-logo { display: block; } } @media (min-width: 350px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-hero-image-contai= ner { padding-top: 25%; width: 25%; display: block; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group { display: flex; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group .button:first-of-typ= e { display: block; } } @media (min-width: 400px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-hero-image-contai= ner { padding-top: 40%; width: 40%; } } @media (max-width: 400px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group { margin-top: 12px; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group .button { font-size: 13px; padding: 6px 12px; height: auto; margin-top: 10px; } } @media (min-width: 600px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-hero-image-contai= ner { padding-top: 55%; width: 55%; } } @media (max-width: 650px) { .poll-editor-modal { min-width: calc(100% - 20px); } } @media (max-width: 750px) { .poll-embed .poll-anchor-target .poll-anchor-copy-button { left: 8px; top: 45px; } }</style></head><body class=3D"email-body" style=3D"font-kerning: auto;--im= age-offset-margin: -120px;"><img src=3D"https://eotrx.substackcdn.com/open?= token=3DeyJtIjoiPDIwMjUxMTE0MTUwMzM0LjMuYzVkYmQ0MWI4OGExNzY1OEBtZy1kMC5zdWJ= zdGFjay5jb20-IiwidSI6MzQ3MjU4OTg1LCJyIjoiYWx2YXJvY2hmQHRyYWNlc2Vpcy5jb20iLC= JkIjoibWctZDAuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tIiwicCI6MTc4NzkyODUzLCJ0IjoibmV3c2xldHRlciIsI= mEiOiJldmVyeW9uZSIsInMiOjIyMjU3OTQsImMiOiJwb3N0IiwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwicG9zaXRpb24i= OiJ0b3AiLCJpYXQiOjE3NjMxMzU4NjksImV4cCI6MTc2NTcyNzg2OSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJ= zdWIiOiJlbyJ9.JcFxAt3dxU-DVmfgTVU6ArGi9bpqVTZL7MhfW1RUnyw" alt=3D"" width= =3D"1" height=3D"1" border=3D"0" style=3D"height:1px !important;width:1px != important;border-width:0 !important;margin-top:0 !important;margin-bottom:0= !important;margin-right:0 !important;margin-left:0 !important;padding-top:= 0 !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;padding-right:0 !important;padding= -left:0 !important;"/><div class=3D"preview" style=3D"display:none;font-siz= e:1px;color:#333333;line-height:1px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;opacity:0;= overflow:hidden;">Harry Frankfurt, technology, and "addiction"</div><div cl= ass=3D"preview" style=3D"display:none;font-size:1px;color:#333333;line-heig= ht:1px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;">͏ &nbs= p;   ­͏     ­͏     ­&#= 847;     ­͏     ­͏    = ­͏     ­͏     ­͏  = ;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= 47;     ­͏     ­͏     = ­͏     ­͏     ­͏  =   ­͏     ­͏     ­T= 7;     ­͏     ­͏     &= #173;͏     ­͏     ­͏   =   ­͏     ­͏     ­͏= ;     ­͏     ­͏     &#= 173;͏     ­͏     ­͏   &= #8199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏=     ­͏     ­͏     = 73;͏     ­͏     ­͏   &#= 8199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ =     ­͏     ­͏     = 3;͏     ­͏     ­͏   = 199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &= nbsp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= ;͏     ­͏     ­͏   Q= 99; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &n= bsp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= ͏     ­͏     ­͏   ̳= 9; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &nb= sp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­&= #847;     ­͏     ­͏    = ; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &nbs= p;   ­͏     ­͏     ­&#= 847;     ­͏     ­͏    = ­͏     ­͏     ­͏  = ;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= 47;     ­͏     ­͏     = ­͏     ­͏     ­͏  =   ­͏     ­͏     ­T= 7;     ­͏     ­͏     &= #173;͏     ­͏     ­͏   =   ­͏     ­͏     ­͏= ;     ­͏     ­͏     &#= 173;͏     ­͏     ­͏   &= #8199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏=     ­͏     ­͏     = 73;͏     ­͏     ­͏   &#= 8199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ =     ­͏     ­͏     = 3;͏     ­͏     ­͏   = 199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &= nbsp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= ;͏     ­͏     ­͏   Q= 99; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &n= bsp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= ͏     ­͏     ­͏   ̳= 9; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &nb= sp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­&= #847;     ­͏     ­͏    = ; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &nbs= p;   ­͏     ­͏     ­&#= 847;     ­͏     ­͏    = ­͏     ­͏     ­͏  = ;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= 47;     ­͏     ­͏     = ­͏     ­͏     ­͏  =   ­͏     ­͏     ­T= 7;     ­͏     ­͏     &= #173;͏     ­͏     ­͏   =   ­͏     ­͏     ­͏= ;     ­͏     ­͏     &#= 173;͏     ­͏     ­͏   &= #8199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏=     ­͏     ­͏     = 73;͏     ­͏     ­͏   &#= 8199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ =     ­͏     ­͏     = 3;͏     ­͏     ­͏   = 199; ­͏     ­</div><table class=3D"email-body-con= tainer" role=3D"presentation" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0"= cellpadding=3D"0"><tbody><tr><td></td><td class=3D"content" width=3D"550">= </td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td class=3D"content" width=3D"550" align= =3D"left"><div style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;max-width: 550px;= width: 100%;margin: 0 auto;overflow-wrap: break-word;"><table role=3D"prese= ntation" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0"><t= body><tr><td align=3D"right" style=3D"height:20px;"><table role=3D"presenta= tion" width=3D"auto" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0"><tbod= y><tr><td style=3D"vertical-align:middle;"><span class=3D"pencraft pc-reset= reset-IxiVJZ tw-font-body tw-text-ssm tw-text-substack-secondary" style=3D= "font-family: SF Pro Text, -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, In= ter, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, Apple Color Emoji, Seg= oe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol;font-size: 13px;color: unset;list-style: none;= text-decoration: unset;margin: 0;"><div class=3D"pencraft pc-reset align-ri= ght-VJbKw5 size-12-mmZ61m reset-IxiVJZ" style=3D"list-style: none;color: un= set;text-align: right;font-size: 12px;line-height: 16px;text-decoration: un= set;margin: 0;"><span class=3D"pencraft pc-reset reset-IxiVJZ" translated= =3D"" style=3D"list-style: none;color: unset;text-decoration: unset;margin:= 0;">Forwarded this email? <a class=3D"pencraft pc-reset decoration-underli= ne-ClTkYc reset-IxiVJZ" href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR= 0cHM6Ly9ibG9nLmNvc21vcy1pbnN0aXR1dGUub3JnL3N1YnNjcmliZT91dG1fc291cmNlPWVtYW= lsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1lbWFpbC1zdWJzY3JpYmUmcj01cXF5cXgmbmV4dD1odHRwcyUzQSUyR= iUyRmJsb2cuY29zbW9zLWluc3RpdHV0ZS5vcmclMkZwJTJGd2hhdC15b3Utd2FudC10by13YW50= IiwicCI6MTc4NzkyODUzLCJzIjoyMjI1Nzk0LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1IjozNDcyNTg5ODUsImlhdCI= 6MTc2MzEzNTg2OSwiZXhwIjoyMDc4NzExODY5LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6Imxpbmstcm= VkaXJlY3QifQ.-vZ7pv59F5jvO2mDtAxiCa5nIj1n45lGY0n-GFMzjy8?" style=3D"list-st= yle: none;color: unset;text-decoration: unset;margin: 0;-webkit-text-decora= tion-line: underline;text-decoration-line: underline;">Subscribe here</a> f= or more</span></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></ta= ble><div class=3D"post typography" dir=3D"auto" style=3D"--image-offset-mar= gin: -120px;padding: 32px 0 0 0;font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;"><div cl= ass=3D"post-header" role=3D"region" aria-label=3D"Post header" style=3D"fon= t-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;"><h1 class=3D"post-title published title-X7= 7sOw" dir=3D"auto" style=3D"direction: auto;text-align: start;unicode-bidi:= isolate;color: rgb(54,55,55);font-family: Lora,sans-serif;font-weight: 600= ;-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing: antialiased;-= webkit-appearance: optimizelegibility;-moz-appearance: optimizelegibility;a= ppearance: optimizelegibility;margin: 0;line-height: 36px;font-size: 32px;"= ><a href=3D"https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=3D2225794&pos= t_id=3D178792853&utm_source=3Dpost-email-title&utm_campaign=3Demail-post-ti= tle&isFreemail=3Dtrue&r=3D5qqyqx&token=3DeyJ1c2VyX2lkIjozNDcyNTg5ODUsInBvc3= RfaWQiOjE3ODc5Mjg1MywiaWF0IjoxNzYzMTM1ODY5LCJleHAiOjE3NjU3Mjc4NjksImlzcyI6I= nB1Yi0yMjI1Nzk0Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.mHaYkObyNoSQccrpkzEvv4yOZxE= Yu5hHOpjrKwLLTnA" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: none;">Wha= t You Want To Want</a></h1><h3 class=3D"subtitle subtitle-HEEcLo" dir=3D"au= to" style=3D"direction: auto;text-align: start;unicode-bidi: isolate;font-f= amily: 'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,Blin= kMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Em= oji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight: normal;-webkit-font-sm= oothing: antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing: antialiased;-webkit-appearanc= e: optimizelegibility;-moz-appearance: optimizelegibility;appearance: optim= izelegibility;margin: 4px 0 0;color: #777777;line-height: 24px;font-size: 1= 8px;margin-top: 12px;">Harry Frankfurt, technology, and "addiction"</h3><ta= ble class=3D"post-meta" role=3D"presentation" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" c= ellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" style=3D"margin: 1em 0;height: 20px;alig= n-items: center;"><tbody><tr><td><table role=3D"presentation" width=3D"auto= " border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0"><tbody><tr><td><table ro= le=3D"presentation" width=3D"auto" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpaddi= ng=3D"0"><tbody><tr><td style=3D"vertical-align:middle;"><div class=3D"penc= raft pc-reset color-primary-zABazT line-height-20-t4M0El font-meta-MWBumP s= ize-11-NuY2Zx weight-medium-fw81nC transform-uppercase-yKDgcq reset-IxiVJZ = meta-EgzBVA custom-css-email-post-author" style=3D"list-style: none;font-si= ze: 11px;line-height: 20px;text-decoration: unset;color: rgb(54,55,55);marg= in: 0;font-family: 'SF Compact',-apple-system,system-ui,-apple-system,Blink= MacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emo= ji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight: 500;text-transform: upp= ercase;letter-spacing: .2px;"><a class=3D"pencraft pc-reset color-primary-z= ABazT line-height-20-t4M0El font-meta-MWBumP size-11-NuY2Zx weight-medium-f= w81nC transform-uppercase-yKDgcq reset-IxiVJZ meta-EgzBVA" style=3D"list-st= yle: none;color: rgb(54,55,55);margin: 0;font-size: 11px;line-height: 20px;= font-family: 'SF Compact',-apple-system,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSys= temFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','S= egoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight: 500;text-transform: uppercase= ;letter-spacing: .2px;text-decoration: none" href=3D"https://substack.com/@= harrylaw">Harry Law</a></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><t= able role=3D"presentation" width=3D"auto" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" ce= llpadding=3D"0"><tbody><tr><td style=3D"vertical-align:middle;"><div class= =3D"pencraft pc-reset color-secondary-ls1g8s line-height-20-t4M0El font-met= a-MWBumP size-11-NuY2Zx weight-medium-fw81nC transform-uppercase-yKDgcq res= et-IxiVJZ meta-EgzBVA" style=3D"list-style: none;font-size: 11px;line-heigh= t: 20px;text-decoration: unset;color: rgb(119,119,119);margin: 0;font-famil= y: 'SF Compact',-apple-system,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'S= egoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Em= oji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight: 500;text-transform: uppercase;letter-sp= acing: .2px;"><time datetime=3D"2025-11-14T15:57:44.404Z">Nov 14</time></di= v></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td align=3D"rig= ht"><table role=3D"presentation" width=3D"auto" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D= "0" cellpadding=3D"0"><tbody><tr><td style=3D"vertical-align:middle;"><a hr= ef=3D"https://substack.com/@harrylaw"><img class=3D"custom-css-email-avatar= avatar-QIQ5yR" src=3D"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yasj!,f_auto= ,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amaz= onaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b1f870a-3e2e-47c4-b05f-d7a69b3c58e7_1728x172= 8.jpeg" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;border-radius: 500000px;max-width: = 550px;border: none;vertical-align: middle;width: 40px;height: 40px;min-widt= h: 40px;min-height: 40px;object-fit: cover;margin: 0px;display: inline" wid= 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HyoA" rel=3D"" style=3D"position: relative;flex-direction: column;align-ite= ms: center;padding: 0;width: auto;height: auto;border: none;text-decoration= : none;display: block;margin: 0;margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0;"><img class= =3D"wide-image" data-attrs=3D"{"src":"https://substack-post-= media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/80267642-b8bd-45f4-96ce-d723c2600ee3_1= 212x744.png","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":nu= ll,"imageSize":null,"height":744,"width":1212= ,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":null,"alt":null,&= quot;title":null,"type":null,"href":null,"bel= owTheFold":false,"topImage":true,"internalRedirect"= ;:null,"isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset&q= uot;:false}" alt=3D"" width=3D"550" height=3D"337.6237623762376" src=3D"htt= ps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SIV4!,w_1100,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:goo= d,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2= Fpublic%2Fimages%2F80267642-b8bd-45f4-96ce-d723c2600ee3_1212x744.png" style= =3D"border: none !important;vertical-align: middle;display: block;-ms-inter= polation-mode: bicubic;height: auto;margin-bottom: 0;width: auto !important= ;max-width: 100% !important;margin: 0 auto;"></a></td><td style=3D"text-ali= gn: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class=3D"image-caption" = style=3D"box-sizing: content-box;color: #777777;font-size: 14px;line-height= : 20px;font-weight: 400;letter-spacing: -.15px;margin-top: 8px;width: 70%;p= adding-left: 15%;padding-right: 15%;text-align: center;"><em>Hip, Hip, Hurr= ah! by Peder Severin Krøyer from 1888</em></figcaption></figure></div>= <p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-= size: 16px;">“Only two industries call their customers users: drug de= alers and technology companies.” The saying is provocative, but is th= e comparison accurate?</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,5= 5);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><span>Harry Frankfurt, the late Amer= ican philosopher, distinguished between first-order desires (what we want i= n the moment) and second-order desires (what we want to want). In his </spa= n><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/b45e8a1f-ea91-45e2-a93e-1a8c99bc= 70cc?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbGj64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv6eWS-HyoA" r= el=3D"" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">framewor= k</a><span>, “addiction” occurs when an agent has second-order = desires but cannot make them effective. It describes a structural incapacit= y to shape one’s will rather than a simple failure of resolve. To kno= w whether we’re addicted, we need to ask two things: whether the self= that reflects on our desires endorses our appetite for Twitter or TikTok, = and whether that self can make its endorsement stick.</span></p><div class= =3D"subscription-widget-wrap" style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;">= <div class=3D"subscription-widget show-subscribe" style=3D"font-size: 16px;= direction: ltr !important;font-weight: 400;text-decoration: none;font-famil= y: system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,A= rial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';colo= r: #363737;line-height: 1.5;max-width: 560px;margin: 24px auto;align-items:= flex-start;display: block;text-align: center;padding: 0px 32px;"><div clas= s=3D"preamble" style=3D"margin-top: 16px;font-family: system-ui,-apple-syst= em,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple C= olor Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-size: 18px;max-width: 3= 84px;width: fit-content;line-height: 22px;display: flex;align-items: center= ;text-align: center;font-weight: 400;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;"= ><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font= -size: 16px;">Subscribe to Cosmos Institute to receive new essays from our = network</p></div><div class=3D"subscribe-widget is-signed-up" data-componen= t-name=3D"SubscribeWidget" style=3D"margin: 0 0 1em;direction: ltr;font-siz= e: 16px;line-height: 26px;"><div class=3D"pencraft pc-reset button-wrapper"= style=3D"text-decoration: unset;list-style: none;font-size: 16px;line-heig= ht: 26px;text-align: center;cursor: pointer;border-radius: 4px;"><a class= =3D"button subscribe-btn primary" href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/2/e= yJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9ibG9nLmNvc21vcy1pbnN0aXR1dGUub3JnL3N1YnNjcmliZT91dG1fc291= cmNlPXBvc3QmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPWVtYWlsLWNoZWNrb3V0Jm5leHQ9aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ= ibG9nLmNvc21vcy1pbnN0aXR1dGUub3JnJTJGcCUyRndoYXQteW91LXdhbnQtdG8td2FudCZyPT= VxcXlxeCZ0b2tlbj1leUoxYzJWeVgybGtJam96TkRjeU5UZzVPRFVzSW1saGRDSTZNVGMyTXpFe= k5UZzJPU3dpWlhod0lqb3hOelkxTnpJM09EWTVMQ0pwYzNNaU9pSndkV0l0TWpJeU5UYzVOQ0lz= SW5OMVlpSTZJbU5vWldOcmIzVjBJbjAuN1pGSTQzc29hVEpQWEkxTGlyd29kdGZkR01kZk12VzV= QV0V4LW1WM0Q4YyIsInAiOjE3ODc5Mjg1MywicyI6MjIyNTc5NCwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6MzQ3Mj= U4OTg1LCJpYXQiOjE3NjMxMzU4NjksImV4cCI6MjA3ODcxMTg2OSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzd= WIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.VFOFdiQPJPd1yv1aOTvo0vfIaTqsbR6C5gbHYOWxQIE?&utm= _medium=3Demail&utm_source=3Dsubscribe-widget-preamble&utm_content=3D178792= 853" style=3D"font-family: system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Sego= e UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji= ','Segoe UI Symbol';display: inline-block;box-sizing: border-box;cursor: po= inter;border: none;border-radius: 8px;font-size: 14px;line-height: 20px;fon= t-weight: 600;text-align: center;opacity: 1;outline: none;white-space: nowr= ap;text-decoration: none !important;margin: 0 auto;background-color: #25384= c;color: #ffffff !important;padding: 12px 20px;height: auto;"><span style= =3D"color: #ffffff;text-decoration: none;">Upgrade to paid</span></a></div>= </div></div></div><h3 class=3D"header-anchor-post" style=3D"position: relat= ive;font-family: 'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-s= ystem,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Appl= e Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight: bold;-webkit= -font-smoothing: antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing: antialiased;-webkit-a= ppearance: optimizelegibility;-moz-appearance: optimizelegibility;appearanc= e: optimizelegibility;margin: 1em 0 0.625em 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-hei= ght: 1.16em;font-size: 1.375em;"><strong>The bear case: we’re all add= icts</strong></h3><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-= height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><span>Modern technology differs fundamentall= y from its precursors. These differences flow from a combination of fidelit= y (content is stickier, more varied, and of higher quality), patterns of us= age (we need to use some kind of screen to get by in the modern world), and= the role of </span><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/c57edcef-5458-= 4a0a-8759-85777a8aae5c?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbGj64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8= UKGoFv6eWS-HyoA" rel=3D"" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: un= derline;">algorithmic mediation</a><span> (the system is actively seeking t= o retain our attention).</span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rg= b(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">Modern media is brighter, f= aster, and more enveloping than anything that came before. A radio emits so= und from the corner of the room, but a phone is a high-definition light sou= rce held inches from the face. The colors are rich and the sound crisp, whi= ch means that the baseline level of stimulation is greater than both TVs of= the past and the stuff of everyday life. As Matt Groening’s Futurama= put it in the middle of the 2000s: “but this is HD TV, it has better= resolution than the real world.”</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;c= olor: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">We rely on our devi= ces as the basic interfaces through which work, communication, and navigati= on now occur, which means they occupy the same cognitive space as tools we = genuinely need in order to function. Email and payroll and maps and childca= re photos all arrive through the same surface that also contains YouTube or= TikTok. The boundary between instrument and diversion is getting harder to= pin down, and this blurring of worlds makes disengagement harder than with= older media.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-h= eight: 26px;font-size: 16px;">But perhaps the most worrisome element of mod= ern technology is the role of algorithmic mediation. AI undergirds five hou= rs a day that people spend on social media, streaming video, and music plat= forms globally. Even assuming that only about two-thirds of this time is ge= nuinely steered by recommendation engines, that tells us that roughly one-f= ifth of our waking life is already mediated by algorithms.</p><p style=3D"m= argin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">= The most obvious instance of their stickiness can be seen in social media, = where the feed presents a continuous stream that proactively selects what y= ou will see next before you have even decided to keep looking. It learns wh= at prolongs a session, refines itself around micro-signals of interest, and= then delivers more of the same with a latency so low that the user never h= as to re-enter the process of active deliberation. The choice is nominally = still ours, yet the conditions in which we make that choice have been engin= eered so that abstention is effortful and continuation frictionless.</p><p = style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-siz= e: 16px;"><span>Some research </span><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redire= ct/490bff67-b44e-4ff5-880d-e5812596a391?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbGj64c= TNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv6eWS-HyoA" rel=3D"" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);te= xt-decoration: underline;">suggests</a><span> that smartphone use encourage= s the release of dopamine. Many take this to mean phone use is similar to d= rug use in that both produce similar physical responses. But more recent re= search </span><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/f0f3b387-d091-404e-a= a46-819655d56b20?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbGj64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv= 6eWS-HyoA" rel=3D"" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underlin= e;">shows</a><span> that the popular story gets the mechanism backwards. We= often talk as though dopamine delivers a feeling of pleasure in the moment= , like a chemical boost handed out for pressing the right button. In realit= y, dopamine tells the brain that something in the environment is worth purs= uing and that the next moment might contain a reward. It is tied to anticip= ation rather than satisfaction insofar as it amplifies the urge to keep see= king before any pleasure has actually arrived.</span></p><p style=3D"margin= : 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">This = distinction matters because it shows that the smartphone keeps us engaged b= y sustaining anticipation of reward rather than delivering satisfaction. An= ticipation still requires the user’s ongoing participation, which mea= ns some form of will is present. With drug use, the stimulus saturates the = system so strongly that reflection is displaced; with phone usage, the stim= ulus is weak enough that reflection can still intervene.</p><p style=3D"mar= gin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><s= pan>Certainly most people want to reduce their smartphone use, with one </s= pan><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/8297355f-fca1-4c16-a39a-f2fdcd= d1ef6d?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbGj64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv6eWS-HyoA"= rel=3D"" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">survey= </a><span> of 3,000+ students finding that 74% of the respondents reported = having actively tried to reduce time spent on their mobile. A separate </sp= an><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/62cafbdb-6cc3-4680-8ecb-103c272= 71f39?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbGj64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv6eWS-HyoA" = rel=3D"" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">poll</a= ><span> of U.S. adults found that 44% said they could not go 24 hours witho= ut their phone, and three-quarters (76%) reported feeling nervous if they d= idn’t know where their phone was.</span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 2= 0px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><span>But wa= nting to reduce something is not the same as being unable to. Most people a= lso say they want to sleep more or drink less, and we do not treat every sh= ortfall between intention and behavior as evidence of addiction. This sugge= sts that addiction—defined as the structural inability to make one= 217;s second-order desires effective—must involve the </span><em>cons= istent</em><span> overruling of our higher order wants. The existence of re= gret does not by itself prove compulsion. It may simply show that people ar= e negotiating competing goods in a world where attention is genuinely scarc= e.</span></p><h3 class=3D"header-anchor-post" style=3D"position: relative;f= ont-family: 'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system= ,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Col= or Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight: bold;-webkit-font= -smoothing: antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing: antialiased;-webkit-appear= ance: optimizelegibility;-moz-appearance: optimizelegibility;appearance: op= timizelegibility;margin: 1em 0 0.625em 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: = 1.16em;font-size: 1.375em;"><strong>The bull case: we are the captains of o= ur fate</strong></h3><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);li= ne-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">Even with the much maligned smartphone, s= ome of our use is clearly functional rather than compulsive. People book fl= ights, check maps, or send emails without having to be “addicted̶= 1; to their little black screen. Habit only resembles addiction when the us= er not only acts against their better judgment but cannot sustain the effor= t to bring their conduct in line with it. Much of ordinary phone use probab= ly does not meet that threshold.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: r= gb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">We also retain autonomy by= deleting apps and setting limits, which allows us to redesign the environm= ent in which our impulses arise and to bring it closer to the shape of the = life we say we want. But we should be cautious about treating acts of self-= correction as decisive proof of freedom. Addicts also have moments of resol= ve when they flush the bottle, delete the dealer’s number, or announc= e a fresh start before giving into temptation. The presence of episodic sel= f-control is not enough; what we are looking for is whether the higher-orde= r stance can stably govern behavior rather than merely interrupt it.</p><p = style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-siz= e: 16px;">This matters because it shows that second-order desires can still= intervene and restructure the field of options, pruning temptations and ch= anging the default conditions in which we choose. If that’s right, it= suggests that technology can also train self-governance in favor of the pe= rson we wish to be. We can uninstall apps, mute notifications, and set hard= boundaries to allow autonomy to become more available the more often it is= exercised. In this setting, friction of use is not “proof of capture= ” but the stuff through which discipline is formed. I call this argum= ent the “skill issue” objection, the idea that technology affor= ds us the opportunity to strengthen our will by resisting it.</p><p style= =3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16= px;">Of course, not everyone is equally positioned to treat distraction as = a training ground. It is one thing to say that autonomy can be cultivated t= hrough resistance, but another to assume that most people have the spare co= gnitive bandwidth to run that drill dozens of times a day. The same environ= ment that allows for will-strengthening also produces a constant tax on att= ention, and there is a real question about whether repeated micronegotiatio= ns of impulse count as “practice” or as exhaustion.</p><p style= =3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16= px;">This objection has force, but it overlooks that autonomy has never bee= n a matter of raw willpower alone. It has always depended on structuring th= e environment so that good choices become easier to make. We do not become = virtuous by staring temptation in the face all day, but neither do we becom= e virtuous by hiding from it. What matters is shaping the environment so th= at right action is easier to choose, and then choosing it often enough that= it becomes part of one’s character.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px = 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">Phones, laptops,= and even televisions are all useful in their own ways. They let us navigat= e unknown places, coordinate care, learn on demand, transact instantly, and= remain reachable in moments where distance once meant isolation. These tec= hnologies widen the range of actions available to an ordinary person and le= t us pursue goods that would otherwise be out of reach. It’s true tha= t widening the range of options also widens the range of tensions, but it&#= 8217;s also true that plural goods will always pull against each other.</p>= <p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-= size: 16px;">Addiction risks mischaracterizing our situation because most p= eople can regain control without external treatment, institutional support,= or withdrawal management. A single act of reconfiguration, like deleting t= he app or changing the setting, actually changes the behavior. It’s a= nnoying and requires conscious effort, but the fact that it works tells us = that we may not be “addicted” in the traditional sense. More th= an that, phones are platforms. You can be addicted to certain applications = that run on the phone, like gambling apps, rather than the phone itself.</p= ><h3 class=3D"header-anchor-post" style=3D"position: relative;font-family: = 'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSys= temFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','S= egoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight: bold;-webkit-font-smoothing: = antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing: antialiased;-webkit-appearance: optimi= zelegibility;-moz-appearance: optimizelegibility;appearance: optimizelegibi= lity;margin: 1em 0 0.625em 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 1.16em;font-= size: 1.375em;"><strong>The Frankfurt framework</strong></h3><p style=3D"ma= rgin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">T= he essential problem is whether technology reflects, forms, or distorts our= preferences. If we accept that technology influences desire, we need to kn= ow the extent to which particular influences are compatible with reflective= endorsement. In Frankfurt’s terms, the question is whether our first= -order appetite can still be brought under the guidance of a second-order s= tance about the kind of person we intend to be.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 = 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">Influence a= lone is not the issue (influence is, after all, a permanent feature of huma= n life). The issue is whether the influence leaves room for reflection to t= ake hold, whether there is still a point at which we can say “this is= a desire I stand behind” or “this is a desire I would rather r= eshape.” Addiction appears when the first-order impulse races ahead o= f our capacity to judge it.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54= ,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">We might say our relationship t= o technology is neither addiction nor full independence. For many people th= e phone does not overpower the will, but it does outrun it when desire arri= ves faster than evaluation (even though reflection can still reassert itsel= f after the fact). We redesign our digital and physical environments becaus= e the second-order volitions, however contested among themselves, still hol= d authority. There may already be a tail of users for whom reflection no lo= nger reliably intervenes, just as there is a tail of pathological gamblers.= The claim is not that no one is addicted, but that addiction is not the me= dian case.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-heig= ht: 26px;font-size: 16px;">The addiction framing fails because most people = can still bring their behavior back under reflective control, which means t= he higher-order will still governs the lower appetite. Where in drug use th= e craving generally displaces reflection, in our use of technology human re= flection can often interrupt and override our immediate wants. In this sens= e, because degrees of compulsion vary dramatically, it’s wrong to say= that most of us are technology junkies. The stakes are high, the waters ro= ugh, but the choice is ours.</p><div style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: = 26px;"><hr style=3D"margin: 32px 0;padding: 0;height: 1px;background: #e6e6= e6;border: none;"></div><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55)= ;line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><em><a href=3D"https://substack.com/re= direct/48439eeb-013d-445d-8114-cff1eacdab7f?j=3DeyJ1IjoiNXFxeXF4In0.h9dEDbG= j64cTNudluPwbMYWklSu8UKGoFv6eWS-HyoA" rel=3D"" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55= );text-decoration: underline;">Cosmos Institute</a><span> is the Academy fo= r Philosopher-Builders, technologists building AI for human flourishing. 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