Addicted" to Technology? Why You Need To Turn The Tables And Hack Back!
Addicted" to Technology? Why You Need To Turn The Tables And Hack Back!
Addicted" to Technology? Why You Need To Turn The Tables And Hack Back!
By Nir Eyal
Summary
It is a behavior or substance the person has a very difficult time stopping, even when someone wants to.
An addiction, in the words of neuroscientist Marc Lewis, an addiction researcher and former addict, "Is the brain focusing on just one thing, all else be damned."
In over a decade of researching, teaching, and writing about the power of technology to shape our behavior, I've come across many parents convinced their children are "Addicted" to their phones.
How can that be if they are using apps designed to addict them?
Many potentially addictive things do not addict everyone and can be used safely in moderation by nearly everyone.
People drink alcohol and have sex, but that doesn't make us all alcoholics and sex addicts.
Addiction is a matter of who is using, how much they are using, and the harm done as a result.
It's never simply about the substance or behavior being used or abused.
We are quick to label behaviors we don't like and don't understand as "Addictive" to provide a more satisfying reason to explain the things we do.
It's easier to say Netflix addicted me to binge-watching and that my child is addicted to Fortnite than to admit I didn't spend any time planning something fun to do together as a family.
Reference
Eyal, N. (n.d.). 'Addicted' to Technology? Why You Need To Turn The Tables And Hack Back! Retrieved February 21, 2020, from https://www.nirandfar.com/addicted-to-technology/