The Line Separating Addiction From Simple Pursuit Of Pleasure

“In normal circumstances, there is an internal relationship between what we do and the satisfactions that result. … You read the book, and the pleasure results from reading itself; it is not a state imposed on you by having read. With addiction, in contrast, the relationship between action and pleasure is … mere cause and effect; you press the button, the elevator goes up. There is no such thing as learning to press the button well.”

Streaming Video Mostly Sucks — But Gems Hide In The Muck

“The shelves of the two leading services, Netflix Instant and Hulu Plus, seem to be full of films you’ve never heard of, arranged in no particular order. The latest hits haven’t arrived yet, and there’s no one around to help you out except for the digital equivalent of the surly, underpaid clerk: those ‘recommended for you’ algorithms that pretend to know your taste but come up with the oddest suggestions imaginable.”