Irresistible

The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked

paperback, 368 pages

Published March 6, 2018 by Penguin Books.

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4 stars (2 reviews)

"One of the most mesmerizing and important books I've read in quite some time. Alter brilliantly illuminates the new obsessions that are controlling our lives and offers the tools we need to rescue our businesses, our families, and our sanity." --Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take

Welcome to the age of behavioral addiction--an age in which half of the American population is addicted to at least one behavior. We obsess over our emails, Instagram likes, and Facebook feeds; we binge on TV episodes and YouTube videos; we work longer hours each year; and we spend an average of three hours each day using our smartphones. Half of us would rather suffer a broken bone than a broken phone, and Millennial kids spend so much time in front of screens that they struggle to interact with real, live humans.

In this revolutionary book, Adam …

2 editions

Irresistible

3 stars

This is a worthwhile overview of research and case studies in how digital technology is engineered to be addictive and habit forming. As expected for a pop psychology–type book, it isn't critical of capitalism at all. Probably a good basic read for new parents trying to get a handle on how to socialize children around tech.