Irresistible

‘Never get high on your own supply' - drug dealers go by that rule, and so do today's tech executives.

Substance addictions (alcohol, drugs, sugar..) have been around forever. Behavioral addictions (shopping, gambling, exercise..) took a while longer to be officially integrated into the psychology books. And now that technologies have become faster and more ubiquitous, tech-enhanced behavioral addictions are becoming more and more widespread. Constant connectivity, likes, retweets, rewards and badges have transformed most of us into addicts of our devices. App and game designers have perfected the timing and reward systems that hook and keep users perpetually glued to their screens.

As always, technology itself is not inherently bad. The same gamification mechanisms can lead to mindless hours of gaming or binge-watching, or can also help people achieve their fitness goals. And not all creators of addictive experiences are out for the money. Alter mentions a few game designers who were so horrified by the addictive effects of their creations that they pulled them off the market. We need more of that. And more designers sensitive to the psychological effects their design decisions have upon the users.