Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Getting Hooked

I have always been fascinated by technology, it is something that has completely taken over our world. It has the ability to connect individuals from across the world and foster relationships, but it also has the ability to tarnish our mental health and depiction of the world around us. I chose to read Irresistible by Adam Alter because the book discussed a side of the industry I didn't have too much knowledge about- how they keep us hooked.

Alter discusses the rise of technology and the addictive behavior it has slowly instilled in all of us. Technology has essentially taken over all of our lives and it has become something that we can’t live without. We use it at work, at home, and during our daily routines. Each year humans are spending more and more time with technology as our world continues to evolve. He touches on the idea of companies tweaking their product until it is addictive, and explains that by reverse engineering behavioral addiction, we have the ability to harness these products for the good. Alter states, “the key to overcoming addictive behaviors, then, is to replace them with something else…distraction works just as well, if you’re trying to overcome a behavioral addiction” but on the same note, mentions that, “we can’t abandon technology, nor should we. Some technological advances fuel behavior addiction, but they are also miraculous and life enriching- with careful engineering, they don’t need to be addictive.” Throughout the book Alter did a great job of breaking down the inherent reasons why we have become so addicted, and gives industry insight into why companies are carefully crafting their product to fit this addictive mold.

My key takeaway was that it is almost impossible not to be addicted to technology, but with proper education, we can mitigate the negative effects of it. Like Alter said, there are things we can do to become less addicted to our devices, but we also shouldn’t cut it out of our lives.

I like that he gave us valuable knowledge about the harms of technology throughout the book, and gave us insight into the world of consumerism and addictive behaviors. He has a background in psychology and marketing so it was really amazing to sort of get both perspectives. To me, Alter’s main point in writing this book was to give us the information to make a decision on our own about how prominent we want technology to be in our lives. After reading this book, I am now more educated about the harms of technology and have methods of decreasing the amount that I use it in my daily life. I am grateful for the advances it has brought to our world, but am also aware of the damaging effects it has had on our wellbeing and mental health.