The Time Suck Economy

By Drew's standards, Hacker News is yet another time suck. I don't mean to be incendiary, but it's debatable whether knowledge of Aaron Swartz's death has any actionable impact on my life.

I do agree with his thoughts on smartphones. While some smartphone apps are genuinely useful (e.g. workout apps, weather widgets, your smartphone's camera), there is a whole class of apps out there that facilitate mindless consumption. Every mobile game and social media app falls into this category.

Going off on a tangent, I haven't played a single, good mobile game (i.e. one that isn't a mindless time waster). There isn't a single mobile game in existence that naturally ties in with the hardware, the way that trading Pokemon was a natural fit for the Game Boy. I really wish there were these types of experiences on smartphones, because Pokemon was a significant slice of culture.