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The Rise of Addictive Technology

Admit it: you're addicted to technology. But it's not entirely your fault. Tech designers use their knowledge of human behavior to get people hooked on devices and apps. It's not unlike being addicted to a drug. But you can kick the habit you really want to.

RadioWest divider.

Marketing professor Adam Alter begins his new book by noting that Steve Jobs didn’t let his own children use an iPad, a product he invented, because he was worried they’d get addicted to it. That’s what Alter’s book is about: our increasing addiction to technology. These days, we aren’t just hooked on substances, like drugs and alcohol. We’re addicted to video games, social media, porn, email, and lots more. Alter joins us to explore the business and psychology of irresistible technologies. (Rebroadcast)

Adam Alter is a an associate professor of psychology and marketing at New York University's Stern School of Business. His writing has appeared the New York Times, the New YorkerAtlantic, and many other publications. His new book is called Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked[Independent booksellers|Amazon].

Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
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