There is a lot of addiction around - and I used the expression myself in the title of a book about the Mass Media.
Addiction could be defined as a psychological response to captivity, by which the captive ends-up desiring and serving that which holds him captive.
(Somewhat, although not exactly - and from a different cause, like Stockholm Syndrome among kidnap victims.)
Addiction is an actual evil, because it is a choice.
An addict is not just dishonest about his basic situation; but because dishonest he actively endorses and advocates his dependence as a good. An addict is morally-inverted and a systematic liar.
As when a heroin junkie extols the benefits of the drug (there have been several example in literature), and organises his life around the drug, and his primary aim becomes enhancing the experience of fixes - this justifying dishonesty, theft, violence, prostitution, even murder.
A real addict does not want to be free of his dependence. And it is this quality which I seem to see all around me in the modern West - it is indeed characteristic of the modern West.
The typical modern is truly addicted to the Mass Media and Social Media - his life is organised by and around these. He does not want to be free of this dependence, but will justify and advocate his state. He will expend tremendous time, money and other resources to enhancing these experiences.
And media addiction exhibits the classic signs both of craving and escalating dosage.When temporarily prevented from using media, there is mounting agitation - and the user takes a fix as soon as possible - immediately after the restriction or prohibition has been lifted.
More broadly, modern Man has become addicted to mainstream modernity itself. Many examples could be picked - addiction to politics, bureaucracy, fashion, and of course - sex. Modernity is literally and extremely addicted to sex.
Not, mostly, to doing sex - but thinking about it. Sexual reference and stimulus, sexual identity and preference, sexual advertisement and craving is everywhere, almost all the time, and escalating - but instead of acknowledging their dependence, and wishing to be free from it; moderns embrace their state of dependence.
There is no such thing as neutrality on any significant issue in Life; and when something is not regarded as bad it will be regarded as good.
When dependence is not repented, it will be celebrated: it will become addiction, and thus a sin.
