Irresistible
by Adam L. Alter · first published 2017
5mentions
3recommended by
4HN commenters
2017–2022first – last mentioned
75% recommend25% neutral
"An urgent and expert investigation into behavioral addiction, the dark flipside of today's unavoidable digital technologies, and how we can turn the tide to regain control. Behavioral addiction may prove to be one of the most important fields of social, medical, and psychological research in our lifetime. The idea that behaviors can be being addictive is new, but the threat is near universal. Experts are just beginning to acknowledge that we are all potential addicts. Adam Alter, a professor of psychology and marketing at NYU, is at the cutting edge of research into what makes these products
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Classic "HOWTO" for software: Hooked by Nir Eyal (2009) https://amzn.com/dp/B00LMGLXTS A New "History": Irresistible by Adam Alter (2017) https://amzn.com/dp/1594206643/ Your Recommendation: Addiction by Design by Natasha Dow Schüll (2014) https://amzn.com/dp/0691160880
on “Big brother is here, and his name is Facebook” ↗…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shantaram_(novel) In non-fiction some of my favourites were several biographies of people who had conquered Everest. Superhuman by Dave Asprey. And this one: https://www.amazon.com/Irresistible-Addictive-Technology-Bus... I did make a list of every book I read but the jail destroyed it. I feel for the author of Shantaram: "His manuscript was destroyed twice by a prison guard, each time after…
on “Japanese game developer hasn't left the house in 10 years” ↗Related/more recent: "Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked" by Adam Alter back in March | https://amzn.com/dp/B01HNJIK70 As mentioned here: The relationship between social media use and…
on “Instagram daily use surpasses Snapchat” ↗Swiping is a great interface to increase user engagement. But true gamification has two more subtle components too. - variable rewards - no ending cue (unlimited feed) Read Adam Alter's book, Irresistible to learn more about gamification.
on “Show HN: Does JavaScript/CSS animation result in higher retention/engagement?” ↗…experiment is still running. I admit I'm also biased by what I see in grown ups around me and by my own experiences. The apps and games our kids use are designed to make them addicted. And wasn't it in Irresistible by Adam Alter that managers of companies like Facebook and similar heavily regulate their kids screen times? I'm not advocating for zero screen time. There are official recommendations from institutes…
on “Ask HN: How do you protect your children from internet addiction?” ↗