Foursquare is one of the social apps we are using as part of the #domosocial experiment. I’ve been aware of foursquare for years, have met the founder and senior execs who are fantastic — but never felt I needed foursquare to improve my life. I’ve always had an uneasy feeling about broadcasting my whereabouts to the world through apps like this one and the loss of privacy that comes along with doing that.

However, one of the requirements of our #domosocial experiment was to start playing around with foursquare.  And — warning, warning, warning — it is a drug. Checking in, earning badges, but most of all, trying to top the scores of others in my network. I got hooked fast. Checking in at gas stations, at stop lights, at restaurants and convenience stores — anywhere that would give me some sort of instant gratification. A new badge, a higher score. Foursquare was my mobile casino, a drug in my hand — and for those few short days, my privacy concerns went right out the window. It didn’t help that my kid was feeding the habit. She was a big enabler — checking in for me when we arrived at a new place, reading me updates from my network, telling me where others had checked in. We had a family foursquare crisis in the works.

And then the intervention happened. After checking in one too many times (even for foursquare), I was awarded an “Overshare” badge. Uh? How did that happen? I had a foursquare problem. While I couldn’t stop cold turkey, I also vowed to check out of checking in as soon as I met the requirements of the #domosocial experiment.

So, after becoming a mayor (of my office) and redeeming a free offer (thanks for the Frosty, Wendy’s) — I am almost off the drug. I still have it on my phone. And still get requests to be friends with people which I will still accept. Sometimes I’ll even sneak in a check in, but I’m putting foursquare down. As best I can.