The Science of Success

The Secret That Silicon Valley Giants Don’t Want You To Know with Dr. Adam Alter

Dec 30, 2023

Dr. Adam Alter, a psychologist studying technology addiction, reveals the dangers of screens and how they are designed to be addictive. He discusses how screens rob us of time and attention, and provides strategies for breaking free from addictive behaviors. Topics include the dark side of technology addiction, the design of addictive apps, using stopping cues to influence behavior, the influence of environment on behavior, creating distance from your phone for a more engaging dinner experience.

51:47

Episode guests

Adam Alter

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Excessive screen time can negatively impact psychological well-being, social interactions, financial stability, and physical health.

Setting specific times or spaces as tech-free and introducing stopping cues can help break phone addiction and promote healthier screen time habits.

Being more mindful about how we use technology is crucial to prevent it from compromising our ability to engage with the real world.

Deep dives

The addictive nature of screens

Screens and technology are designed to be addictive, with companies like Facebook focused on getting users to spend as much time as possible on their platforms. This addiction leads to a decline in psychological well-being, including a decreased tolerance for boredom and reduced social skills. Additionally, excessive screen time can have financial consequences, such as overspending on in-app purchases, and physical consequences, such as a sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise.

Introduction

5min

The Dark Side of Technology Addiction

22min

The Design of Addictive Apps and Their Mechanics

5min

Using Stopping Cues to Influence Behavior

14min

The Influence of Environment on Behavior and the Power of Drunk Tank Pink

3min

Creating Distance from Your Phone for a more Engaging Dinner Experience

2min

Thanking the guest, promoting email list, and encouraging reviews

2min

In this episode we discuss the danger of getting addicted to your screens. We look at how technology is designed to be as addictive as possible, and how those addictions specifically make you spend more time on things like social media and news that make you less happy. We discuss how screens rob us of time and attention and why it’s so hard to break away from them. We also look at how-how you can structure your environment to spend more time away from your phone and create ways to get out of these addictive behavior loops with our guest Dr. Adam Alter.

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