Reading Hooked by Nir Eyal and a particular paragraph reminded me of this article so I thought I would share it --

“Unfortunately, some companies utilize viral loops and relationship triggers in unethical ways: by deploying so-called dark patterns. When designers intentionally trick users into inviting friends or blasting a message to their social networks, they may see some initial growth, but it comes at the expense of users’ goodwill and trust. When people discover they’ve been duped, they vent their frustration and stop using the product.”

Sounded similar to the journey you went through!