Unpopular opinion, but I'm not sure there is such thing as "mindlessly browsing. I think that no matter what I'm reading on the internet, I am gaining knowledge and that knowledge is valuable even if it doesn't enhance my professional career directly. For example, reading about the latest entertainment gossip helps me talk about that with friends. Or, leading about the latest news, whether local, national,or global, helps me debate with people I know. The list goes on and on, but I think every piece of knowledge can be important for some part of your life.
As far as "addiction" goes, I wouldn't call it that unless it gets in the way of other parts of your life. Is you browsing the internet making you not spend time with loved ones? Is it making you LESS productive than you already were before it started? Is it making you less physically active? If that's true, then yes, it is an addiction. In that case, I would recommend setting up constant, but annoying, reminders for you to do anything that you feel like you're missing out on. You can even write software that locks down your browser for sometime.
As far as "addiction" goes, I wouldn't call it that unless it gets in the way of other parts of your life. Is you browsing the internet making you not spend time with loved ones? Is it making you LESS productive than you already were before it started? Is it making you less physically active? If that's true, then yes, it is an addiction. In that case, I would recommend setting up constant, but annoying, reminders for you to do anything that you feel like you're missing out on. You can even write software that locks down your browser for sometime.