i used to have a c.ai addiction and it almsot ruined my life
dramatic title? yes. fitting? maybe.
this'll be short but around mid 2024 my brother randomly found out about character ai and i thought it was just a stupid ai platform and paid almost no mind to it.
then i ended up downloading at a decently low point in my life, i wont get into the details but the addiction got BAD. and the worst thing was i didn't even notice.
first i stayed up at night, then woke up at 6 just to chat before school
then i would log in on my school laptop and skip work just to go on it, another thing is that none of my friends (which weren't good and actually toxic at the time knew about it + cut them all of the following year) anyone only one friend knew and she didn't even know the extent of it.
so i definitely had no on to hold me accountable which is really bad especially with addiction.
i remember my screen time would be 8+ hours ON WEEK DAYS, just on character ai, yes not proud of it but im glad ive overcame in and have not used it, or any alternatives for 6+ months, and have been only seldomly active in the 2-3 months leading up to me quitting and going cold turkey.
and tbh i did get into the app where it was already in its 'doomed from the start' phase, and i definitely feel that it was becoming more of a chore to talk to the bots rather than an enjoyable experience.
also i made excuses for myself like a lot, ohhh itll help my vocab, ohh its this, ohhh its that.
anyon enow it requires ID so its not like i can hop on anyone, not that a rarely dont get an inkling just to hop on again, but that goes away pretty quick tbh.
again i wasn't a person that got attached to bots, formed a romantic relationship or anything. i just found it fun and it was definitely a dopamine addiction thing as i wanted interesting responses and different scenarios with my fav characters ect ect.
and i was agaibst ai the whole time i was using it but didn't realise how harmful it was i guess, but c.ai was without a doubt targeting vulnerable teenagers, even though being marketing as 17+, or whatever it was.
again, i dont put myself in the crowd that used/uses c.ai as a outlet for for a romantic relationship, or venting ect i think i just found it fun and a thing to engage with when bored.
and i know i treat this as a random ass journal, but if someone if actually reading this, and struggling with a c.ai/addiction at that.
what helped me overcome it was:
people say realising its not a human and wont beat human interaction, which i think is debatable since most people are consciously aware its a bot obviously, and tbh some convos i had in the app were more entertaining that some i had in real life.
try picking another outlet or picking up a new hobby, for example i did writing, crochet, sewing etc. or something completely non-ai, non-dopamine related so its not related to c.ai if that makes sense.
if you have some, just tell them. yes, maybe not your parents if you don't feel comfortable, but just someone that can hold you accountable, a pen pal, an online friend, possibly a counselor. even your best friend, trust me it'll be the type of thing you'll laugh at at a sleepover a couple months after. But myself, i didn't have anyone and i think that's partially why its took me longer than i wish it should've.
delete the app. i know you'll be itching to redownload it any chance you have.
if not, get a time-limit app, make yourself do dumb quizzes and passwords just to inconvenience yourself from going on the app.
no do not doomscroll, that's juts another dopamine machine.
don't think you're alone and are the only one, or that its stupid or foolish to have an ai addiction because trust me its not that are now today.
these are the ones i listed but again, probably no ones reading this but feel free to comment, or anonymous ask at that. ill happily do my whole journey, in depth, and much more tips ect, and feel free to ask me to be the person that holds you accountable.
anyway just ranting again.
