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301 reviews for:
Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked
Adam Alter
3.7 AVERAGE
301 reviews for:
Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked
Adam Alter
3.7 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Focused on behavioral addiction, particularly technology-based addictions to phone usage, video games, email checking, and the broad behaviors of the constantly online. This book is very much in debt to Natasha Schull's ADDICTION BY DESIGN (and if you're deciding between the two of them, pick Schull). However, Alter does extend Schull's argument into the realm of casual tech use, which probably makes this book more relevant to more people.
The book's chief argument is a powerful one: that addiction is STRUCTURAL, not intrinsic to individual personality types or personal susceptibility. While he discusses severe behavioral addictions, his true interest in this book seems to be about how even mild behavioral addictions are damaging, and his book is Very well motivated by the point that while milder behavioral addictions are milder, because such a large proportion of the population has mild tech behavioral addictions, the issue of mild behavioral addictions is just as important. Since behavioral addictions are situational, these milder forms are even more insidious in some ways because there's no way to avoid them: e.g. people still have to check their email. When the context of technology addiction is in the usual spaces of daily life, it's nearly impossible to completely divest from.
The first two parts that define addiction and describe the components that make technologies addictive, respectively, were both excellent. In part three there's also a lot of practical, research-backed (attempted anyway) advice about limiting tech use in a productive way. Critiques the moralizing former approaches that were mostly about abstinence from tech/addictive behaviors or suppression. Research that suppression methods don't work Replacement works "Charles Duhigg's golden rule. But in order for replacement to work, the rewards/feedback in the replacement activity have to feel similar.
However, we have to talk about the last chapter... which might be better to just skip? I don't know, it seemed as though after laying out a careful delineation of all the strategies underlying addictive technologies, he spends the last chapter casting around for something nice to say about the very gamified technologies. The last chapter is a wishy-washy overview of gamification strategies and their uses. While he spent the early part of the book deconstructing how and why technologies are addictive and the harm that causes, this section describes why some of the applications of these same toxic strategies are good actually??? There are only half-hearted justifications at best for why some of the applications are okay and no interrogation of whether there are any guardrails against negative consequences for gamification. several egregious examples: 1. gamified corporate wellness apps... after he had discussed the harm in exercise addictions as facilitated by technology in the first parts; 2. a gamified customer service ticket system where anyone can work part time and be paid by the ticket for customer service SEE UBERLAND.
The book's chief argument is a powerful one: that addiction is STRUCTURAL, not intrinsic to individual personality types or personal susceptibility. While he discusses severe behavioral addictions, his true interest in this book seems to be about how even mild behavioral addictions are damaging, and his book is Very well motivated by the point that while milder behavioral addictions are milder, because such a large proportion of the population has mild tech behavioral addictions, the issue of mild behavioral addictions is just as important. Since behavioral addictions are situational, these milder forms are even more insidious in some ways because there's no way to avoid them: e.g. people still have to check their email. When the context of technology addiction is in the usual spaces of daily life, it's nearly impossible to completely divest from.
The first two parts that define addiction and describe the components that make technologies addictive, respectively, were both excellent. In part three there's also a lot of practical, research-backed (attempted anyway) advice about limiting tech use in a productive way. Critiques the moralizing former approaches that were mostly about abstinence from tech/addictive behaviors or suppression. Research that suppression methods don't work Replacement works "Charles Duhigg's golden rule. But in order for replacement to work, the rewards/feedback in the replacement activity have to feel similar.
However, we have to talk about the last chapter... which might be better to just skip? I don't know, it seemed as though after laying out a careful delineation of all the strategies underlying addictive technologies, he spends the last chapter casting around for something nice to say about the very gamified technologies. The last chapter is a wishy-washy overview of gamification strategies and their uses. While he spent the early part of the book deconstructing how and why technologies are addictive and the harm that causes, this section describes why some of the applications of these same toxic strategies are good actually??? There are only half-hearted justifications at best for why some of the applications are okay and no interrogation of whether there are any guardrails against negative consequences for gamification. several egregious examples: 1. gamified corporate wellness apps... after he had discussed the harm in exercise addictions as facilitated by technology in the first parts; 2. a gamified customer service ticket system where anyone can work part time and be paid by the ticket for customer service SEE UBERLAND.
Fascinating look at how technology has become an addictive behavior. The metrics, leaderboards, inconsistent feedback, and unfinished events leave us wanting more.
The idea of limiting technology, spending more time with others and nature, changing your cues, and utilizing gamification to solve the problem seem a good start.
The idea of limiting technology, spending more time with others and nature, changing your cues, and utilizing gamification to solve the problem seem a good start.
Not a lot of 'new' information for me per day, but it was organized in a way that promotes reflection. There were plenty of studies and such that I didn't know about, but the general ideas in this book were not anything I haven't heard before.
Adam goes touches on the topic of video games quite often, and that hits home for me.
Adam goes touches on the topic of video games quite often, and that hits home for me.
challenging
medium-paced
His focus seems to wander a lot, in an attempt to justify his idea of behavioral addiction. I think he fell into the trap of oversimplification in certain areas. The conclusions he gives based on some studies are using broader assumptions that don't really work, so I didn't find some of his assertions very compelling.
It was very interesting to listen to for the first 2/3rds and cited many studies, though I would argue some of them didn't actually show what he said they did.
It was very interesting to listen to for the first 2/3rds and cited many studies, though I would argue some of them didn't actually show what he said they did.
informative
This is an average non-fiction book, it addresses the issue of addictive technology and does just that.
"Irresistible" by Adam Atler was great! But not a 5 star for me
I truly enjoyed how fluid the read was, and how relaxing the topics he talked about were. But, there were a couple of moments where I felt a bit bored reading certain chapters just because I wanted him to get to get to the point quicker.
Overall, there were many interesting ideas and lessons that I will try my best to apply in my daily life. And that was his goal: to give me insight on how to change my bad habits
I truly enjoyed how fluid the read was, and how relaxing the topics he talked about were. But, there were a couple of moments where I felt a bit bored reading certain chapters just because I wanted him to get to get to the point quicker.
Overall, there were many interesting ideas and lessons that I will try my best to apply in my daily life. And that was his goal: to give me insight on how to change my bad habits