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tcranenj 's review for:
If you're reading this review, there is a good chance you display some level of behavioral addiction to the internet. If you got here by way of social media, well then you almost certainly are an addict. A book like Cal Newport's "Deep Work" will have you thinking that technology exists solely to distract. Adam Alter's "Irresistible" takes things to a different level. Technology is not just distracting. It's an intentionally designed addictive distraction. Much of what concerns Alter can be summarized in two stats: the average human attention span decreased from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013 (Apparently, goldfish have a 9 second attention span) and 70% of recipients start reading corporate email within 6 seconds of its digital arrival. People crave novelty so much that they're even willing to seek it in their goddamn work email! Most of the behaviors that concern Alter have roots in smartphones and the easy access to addictive games and social media they provide. The pull of smartphones is so strong that their mere presence creates cognitive demand provoking distraction. Alter references a study showing lower level of engagement between talking strangers when smartphones were just lying, unused, on a table. Anecdotally, we teachers see this phenomenon in class as well. Students who put a smartphone next to their notebook come across as being less engaged that those who keep phones in their backpacks. Although he may stretch some behavioral studies beyond their original findings, Alter makes a strong and multifaceted case that our behavioral addiction to technology is real and getting much, much worse. Sorry, I need to end this review now. I have to check for likes on my last Facebook post.