I have a problem with food addiction through ride-hailing apps. It’s easier to press a button in the app than to walk out during lunch at the office. This causes a rather high monthly food bill.
In South Korea, if you have a chronic addiction to ride-hailing or online shopping, you can visit the “dopamine site” to enjoy the same experience without spending money.
The site 음식만안와요.com (only the food doesn’t arrive) was developed for those who want the experience of ordering food through ride-hailing. It gives you the option to order various types of food like the Grab Food or Food Panda services.
The experience is similar to the fast (rabbit) or slow (tortoise) delivery options. After “payment” is made, a GPS tracking system will be displayed showing the location of the food delivery partner and the time it will take to arrive at your home. No money changes hands and visitors can make “purchases” as many times as they want without stopping.
In addition to buying fake food online, there are also sites that provide a virtual smoking experience. A virtual room for smokers can be visited where visitors can chat with each other just like real smoking rooms in South Korea.
Although both of these “dopamine sites” were developed as a joke, they still attract many visitors because the issues of addiction to online shopping and smoking are real-world issues. If there were a site that could provide a similar experience to “let go of the cravings,” it might help, even if only for a while.
