Addiction to a Network *

45 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2020 Last revised: 22 Feb 2024

See all articles by David Gilo

David Gilo

Tel Aviv University - Buchmann Faculty of Law

Ariel Porat

Tel Aviv University; University of Chicago - Law School

Yevgeny Tsodikovich

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Date Written: April 20, 2020

Abstract

We characterize dynamic rational addiction to a harmful product by informed individuals who are connected to a network of users of the addictive product. The network's accumulated stock of consumption harms each individual and imposes peer pressure on her to consume the addictive product. When harm is concave in such stock, an increase in the network intensies addiction, and when it is sufciently convex, a larger network mitigates addiction. Rehabilitation, achieved by disconnection from the network, can prevent addiction if implemented early enough. The results support regulation of social media platforms' practices encouraging expansion of the individual's network and use.

Keywords: network, addiction, peer pressure, fear of missing out, social media platforms, inuencers, rehabilitation, dynamic programming. JEL Classication Numbers: L14, C61, C73, K13, K29

JEL Classification: L14, C61, C73, K13, K29

Suggested Citation

Gilo, David and Porat, Ariel and Tsodikovich, Yevgeny, Addiction to a Network * (April 20, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3580693 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3580693

David Gilo (Contact Author)

Tel Aviv University - Buchmann Faculty of Law ( email )

Ramat Aviv
Tel Aviv, 69978
Israel
+972-3-6406299 (Phone)

Ariel Porat

Tel Aviv University ( email )

Ramat Aviv
Tel Aviv, 69978
Israel
972-3-6408283 (Phone)
972-3-6407260 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://english.tau.ac.il/profile/porata

University of Chicago - Law School ( email )

1111 E. 60th St.
Chicago, IL 60637
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.uchicago.edu/faculty/porat

Yevgeny Tsodikovich

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev ( email )

1 Ben-Gurion Blvd
Beer-Sheba 84105, 84105
Israel

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