Are we really taking the position that alcohol precipitated crimes are not a thing? If you take that position it's because DV and drunk driving are so normalized in this country that you don't even consider them heinous anymore. SAS, but understandable
HN may be more normalized, in the way that alcohol is more normal than meth in my circles. And folks my find HN to be more "useful", in the sense that I find being able to have a drink and socialize useful but don't feel the same way about casual adderall usage.
Unlike caffeine, however, (and this is the point I am responding to), I don't think that the HN is any -less- social media.
Caffeine is indeed a drug but has relatively (to alcohol) minor effects, especially looking at the longer-term differences- that's the point of the parent post.
I think that, like most of the social drinkers I know, the users of HN don't feel like there's anything abusive about how they are using it. I also see folks who are definitely getting their social media fix off the site.
It's like saying "don't do drugs" (thinking of heroin, meth, coke and that sort) and someone else says "caffeine is a drug too".