Today In Bleak Reads

“7 Reasons Child Stars Go Crazy (An Insider’s Perspective)”: Mara Wilson (a.k.a. “Matilda” and “the little sister from Mrs. Doubtfire) writes about child star breakdowns. Did you know about the “hedonic treadmill”?

Combine the regular amount of free stuff celebrities get with all the presents people give kids just for being cute, and you’ve got a recipe for one spoiled-ass child. My parents tried to keep me grounded: They made me share a room with my sister, kept me in public elementary school, and encouraged me to think of acting as just a hobby. But I’m sure there were still times when I was an entitled little shit.

This tends to happen: It’s called the hedonic treadmill, which sounds like something 1950s sci-fi writers imagined we’d all have in our pod-houses by now, but actually means that even people who have the best of everything quickly become used to it. The thrill of new things and new experiences always wears off.

[Cracked]