Why your smartphone is irresistible (and why it's worth trying to resist)

Published on Apr 21, 2017

Many of us have psychological itches that need scratching, says Adam Alter. When he was a Ph.D. student, that compulsion took the form of an online slot machine game, which soothed his feelings of isolation. Today we seem to be constantly in need of interaction with our smart phones or tablets. Alter offers his Humble Opinion on why it's worth going screen-free part of each day.

“Walter Isaacson, who ate dinner with the Jobs family while researching his biography of Steve Jobs, told Bilton that, “No one ever pulled out an iPad or computer. The kids did not seem addicted at all to devices.” It seemed as if the people producing tech products were following the cardinal rule of drug dealing: never get high on your own supply.”

“In 2000, Microsoft Canada reported that the average human had an attention span of 12 seconds; by 2013 that number had fallen to 8 seconds."

(According to Microsoft, a goldfish, by comparison, has an average attention span of 9 seconds.)

― Adam Alter, Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked