Adam Alter

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Adam Alter is a marketing author [1] who also teaches at New York University Stern School of Business. [2] [3]

Contents

Early life

Adam moved with his family from South Africa to Australia in the 1980s. [4]

Education and work

Alter obtained a scholarship to study actuarial science at the University of New South Wales, but switched to psychology and law. [5]

Alter earned his Bachelor of Science from University of New South Wales and M.A. and Ph.D at Princeton University. [6]

His book Irresistible (2017) has received positive reviews by the Chicago Tribune , saying it "explores the roots of our tech addiction," [7] The Washington Post saying "enjoyable yet alarming," [8] Publishers Weekly [9] and The Guardian , saying "illuminating on the ways that designers engineer behavioral addiction." [10] In an interview with The New York Times , Alter pointed out that many "Silicon Valley titans refuse to let their kids near certain devices" and that was his motivation to write the book. [3] Speaking to the APA Monitor , Alter revealed his from his conversations with other psychologists, he learned that communicating via electronic devices had become the default option for many young people, a fact that contributes to their mental problems. [11] He told The New Yorker that the parents and teenagers he surveyed generally expressed unease with social media, in part because they faced peer pressure to use it. [12]

Media appearances

In August 2017, Alter appeared on the PBS Newshour explaining why smartphones can be so addictive and why it is worth reducing usage. [13]

Publications

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video game addiction</span> Addiction to computer and video games

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Compulsive buying disorder (CBD) is characterized by an obsession with shopping and buying behavior that causes adverse consequences. It "is experienced as a recurring, compelling and irresistible–uncontrollable urge, in acquiring goods that lack practical utility and very low cost resulting in excessive, expensive and time-consuming retail activity [that is] typically prompted by negative affectivity" and results in "gross social, personal and/or financial difficulties". Most people with CBD meet the criteria for a personality disorder. Compulsive buying can also be found among people with Parkinson's disease or frontotemporal dementia.

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References

  1. ↑ "'Irresistible' By Design: It's No Accident You Can't Stop Looking At The Screen". NPR. March 13, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Adam Alter". Leonard N. Stern School of Business Faculty. New York University. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Dreifus, Claudia (March 6, 2017). "Why We Can't Look Away From Our Screens". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 8, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  4. ↑ Alter, Adam L. Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When it Matters Most. Simon and Schuster, 2023.
  5. ↑ Alter, Adam L. Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When it Matters Most. Simon and Schuster, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Adam Alter". adamalterauthor.com. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  7. ↑ "'Irresistible' technology is making our kids miss social cues". Chicago Tribune. March 13, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Subtle and Insidious technology is designed to addict us". The Washington Post. March 2, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Nonfiction Book Review". Publishers Weekly. January 7, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Irresistible: Why We Can't Stop Checking, Scrolling, Clicking and Watching – review". The Guardian. February 26, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  11. ↑ Reid, Shauna (July–August 2017). "5 questions for Adam Alter". APA Monitor. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  12. ↑ Newport, Carl (November 9, 2021). "The Question We've Stopped Asking About Teen-Agers and Social Media". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Why your smartphone is irresistible (and why it's worth trying to resist)". PBS Newshour. April 21, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
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