Abstract
Adam Alter presents a complete picture of an emerging and alarming phenomenon of the digital age: behavioral addictions. By unpacking the issue into smaller, divisible pieces, the author takes readers on a tour of “the world of addictions.” The book is organized into three parts: the origin of behavioral addictions, their anatomy, and the outlook for their evolution. Dr. Alter’s arguments are reinforced by a range of extensive evidence obtained from first-hand observations and experiments, interviews with experts in the field, and review of pertinent extant literature.
The introductory chapter depicts the rise of behavioral addictions accelerated by the rapid development of the latest technologies, including the smartphone. The author draws attention to the ascent in the rate of “nomophobia,” or the fear of not having access to one’s mobile phone (p. 18). He also sets the stage for in-depth discussions in the subsequent chapters by laying out definitions of behavioral addiction and how it is distinct from related phenomena such as obsession, compulsion, or obsessive passion. The second and third chapters discuss the origin of behavioral addictions, which is attributed to a combination of personality, environment, and biology factors. The author devotes all of Chapter 3 to examining various viewpoints on the biological science of both substance addictions and behavioral addictions. Part 2 of the book moves on to explaining the anatomy of addictive experiences. According to Alter, there are six ingredients that make up an addictive experience: goals, feedback, progress, escalation, cliffhangers, and social interaction, each of which is discussed in the ensuing chapters and illustrated with relevant examples. For instance, in the analysis of goals, the author presents an upsurge in the use of wearable tech devices, which offer automatic goal tracking. Consequently, users develop exercise addiction, a new form of addictive behavior. The concluding three chapters outline the author’s projections of behavioral addictions. In Chapter 10, Alter emphasizes that striking a balance earlier is simpler than correcting troublesome behaviors later on. One example is that children should not be exposed to screens such as iPads until they have reached the age of 2. Chapter 11 describes how behavioral architecture and habits are closely intertwined. Not only can skillful behavioral architects inhibit unfavorable temptations, they are also capable of constructing more favorable behaviors. This idea ties in with the concept of gamification explored in Chapter 12. The idea that gamification, if effectively harnessed, encourages positive behaviors is thus put forward.
With his novel approach, Alter proposes a paradigm shift where instead of seeking to prevent addictive behaviors, favorable ones are sought. The book is an invaluable, well-written, contribution to the understanding of behavioral addictions. Although the initial sections largely focus on substance addictions, they provide fundamental background information for the readers, facilitating a smoother flow of ideas. Although some points are repeated throughout the book (the example of wearable tech devices and experts’ disapproval of them), the author successfully reiterates his arguments.