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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
Wished it focused more on social media, as the primary addiction discussed was video games (which felt less relatable for the masses, in my opinion)
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Made me conscious of many things regarding my phone, gave pretty solid tipps and strategies and really improved the quality of my life. Full of interesting little facts.
I really enjoyed this book! He covers addictive technology, but also addictive behaviors & substances in general. He provides lots of good data points on why tech addiction is bad, though is less helpful on how to overcome it (though there are plenty of helpful articles on the interwebs).
I found these concepts fascinating:
- Want vs. like: You can crave something, even if you don't actually enjoy it
- There are runners who are addicted to keeping up their streak of running, even if it means running in place in the hospital bathroom while very pregnant
- The dollar auction game
- Tetris is addictive because it hides your progress (full lines disappear), and highlights your "failures" - the holes on your screen are very prominent
- "Remember: once your cucumber brain has become pickled, it can never go back to being a cucumber."
I found these concepts fascinating:
- Want vs. like: You can crave something, even if you don't actually enjoy it
- There are runners who are addicted to keeping up their streak of running, even if it means running in place in the hospital bathroom while very pregnant
- The dollar auction game
- Tetris is addictive because it hides your progress (full lines disappear), and highlights your "failures" - the holes on your screen are very prominent
- "Remember: once your cucumber brain has become pickled, it can never go back to being a cucumber."
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
"Why are the world's greatest public technocrats also it's greatest private technophobes?"
This book made me want to throw my phone out the window. It was very good, but it was also very alarming to see all of the statistics presented. Not only was in presented on paper, but you can see it in the world today if you take a good look around.
Alter broke down the idea of addiction, not just making it about the dangers of technology. While he stresses this is only the beginning, and this is something that needs to be monitored, he also makes a point about how technology has been very helpful. We can't and shouldn't just abandon technology to go live in the woods. But we are at a point some are starting to notice the problems technology is starting, overshadowed and hidden by convenience.
The main idea Alter presented was that this is all about addiction. We are addicted to streaming services, smartphones, and wearable tech. And the creators behind them designed them that way. We need to have our phones on us all the time now, we need to get our steps in, we need to answer this one text despite being in another conversation with a person right in front of us. And it is not entirely our fault that we are addicted to these devices either. They're convenient and really nice to have.
I liked how this book was presented. It's not just about the dangers and evils of technology. The issue mainly is that we are only at the beginning of the technological age, and we won't know what this is really doing to us for many more years. This book was mainly a warning, an attempt to give people a heads up to what could be coming. And unfortunately I am seeing it just as well everyday, as I'm sure many other people are too.
This book made me want to throw my phone out the window. It was very good, but it was also very alarming to see all of the statistics presented. Not only was in presented on paper, but you can see it in the world today if you take a good look around.
Alter broke down the idea of addiction, not just making it about the dangers of technology. While he stresses this is only the beginning, and this is something that needs to be monitored, he also makes a point about how technology has been very helpful. We can't and shouldn't just abandon technology to go live in the woods. But we are at a point some are starting to notice the problems technology is starting, overshadowed and hidden by convenience.
The main idea Alter presented was that this is all about addiction. We are addicted to streaming services, smartphones, and wearable tech. And the creators behind them designed them that way. We need to have our phones on us all the time now, we need to get our steps in, we need to answer this one text despite being in another conversation with a person right in front of us. And it is not entirely our fault that we are addicted to these devices either. They're convenient and really nice to have.
I liked how this book was presented. It's not just about the dangers and evils of technology. The issue mainly is that we are only at the beginning of the technological age, and we won't know what this is really doing to us for many more years. This book was mainly a warning, an attempt to give people a heads up to what could be coming. And unfortunately I am seeing it just as well everyday, as I'm sure many other people are too.
Overall an interesting read, even if it didn't bring much new to the table. There are two major modes of operation here; addiction throughout history, and how the tech of today fits into it. I honestly had a much better time with the history lessons and found a lot of the conclusions and perspectives surrounding tech addiction reductive, which is unfortunate seeing how that is the focal point. The assertion that women becoming the biggest demographic in videogames is directly related to the rise in casual phone games was particularly offensive, and to add insult to injury, that attitude is repeated multiple times.
With that said, if you have limited knowledge of behaviourism this is potentially a good introduction, and there are interesting analyses to be found here either way. I really enjoyed the chapter on gamification, a subject near and dear to my heart, and thought the concept and selected projects were presented pretty well on the whole. Fair conclusion and call to action, but there was a tendency towards one-sidedness, and odd moments of "oh the horror, won't someone think of the children!" commentary peppered throughout that definitely detracted from my enjoyment. I think Alter succesfully communicated what he set out to, though, and various frustrations aside, I had a fine time with it.
With that said, if you have limited knowledge of behaviourism this is potentially a good introduction, and there are interesting analyses to be found here either way. I really enjoyed the chapter on gamification, a subject near and dear to my heart, and thought the concept and selected projects were presented pretty well on the whole. Fair conclusion and call to action, but there was a tendency towards one-sidedness, and odd moments of "oh the horror, won't someone think of the children!" commentary peppered throughout that definitely detracted from my enjoyment. I think Alter succesfully communicated what he set out to, though, and various frustrations aside, I had a fine time with it.
informative
slow-paced
very fascinating read.
well organized, lots of useful information that isn't too fear-mongering, and an interesting segment that focused more on marketing psychology, which was a nice tie-in.
Left us with lots to think about, and without too many recommendations that it felt like a self-help book.
well organized, lots of useful information that isn't too fear-mongering, and an interesting segment that focused more on marketing psychology, which was a nice tie-in.
Left us with lots to think about, and without too many recommendations that it felt like a self-help book.
This book covers two things:
1. A warning about previously unrecognized addictive behaviors associated with the technology in our lives
2. An odd mix of instructions on how to create and defeat addictive behaviors as both creators and consumers.
The first point the author covers in a thorough, empathetic and well researched way.
The second point is covered well but is at odds with the first point so it is a bit confusing since both points are woven together throughout the book.
I learned some new things like the Ludic Loop of small wins and the associated emotional high that drives so much modern behavior.
1. A warning about previously unrecognized addictive behaviors associated with the technology in our lives
2. An odd mix of instructions on how to create and defeat addictive behaviors as both creators and consumers.
The first point the author covers in a thorough, empathetic and well researched way.
The second point is covered well but is at odds with the first point so it is a bit confusing since both points are woven together throughout the book.
I learned some new things like the Ludic Loop of small wins and the associated emotional high that drives so much modern behavior.
informative
reflective
medium-paced