> Nobody gets "addicted" to Mario 3 or IRC to the point it resembles alcoholism.

People definitely became internet junkies in the past. IRC was where you could find chronically online people before that term was popular.

The good old IRC quote databases were full of jokes about people not leaving their house and being online all the time. I remember being mocked in IRC rooms because I was out doing things instead of being on IRC all weekend. IRC was the place for the chronically online. This has always been a thing and it’s weird to see it dismissed so casually.

People were definitely addicted to IRC.