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pocketbard 's review for:
This is the book I wish Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (which I read in December) had been. In fact, it’s one of the sources for Digital Minimalism, and I wish I’d skipped that one and read this one instead. Alter worked in Silicon Valley and describes in great detail how tech companies design their products (cell phones, social media, video games) to press on levers of behavioural addiction. The book is well researched and well presented, and while Alter never goes into detail about what changes he thinks you should make to fight back against those addictive qualities (though there is some of that in the last section), the book nonetheless sparks plenty of ideas as you read it. My one quibble is that Alter – much like Newport – tends to conflate cell phones, social media, video games, and wearable tech when talking about behavioural addiction. This can be a bit frustrating, since (for example) using your phone to check the weather is a very different experience from using your phone to doomscroll. That said, it’s a fascinating book and well worth the read for anyone who feels like they’re spending too much time on their phone or facebook feed, but doesn’t know why.