TMHS 434: How Social Media Affects Our Psychology & Why Our Phones Are Becoming Irresistible - With Guest Adam Alter

If you’re like most Americans, you probably have a few bad cell phone habits. Most of spend hours every day attached to our devices, with little to no boundaries or schedules. The thing is, this is no mistake. Our devices and apps are expertly engineered to alter our brain chemistry.  

So if you find yourself mindlessly refreshing the same apps over and over again or unconsciously reaching for your phone, it actually has little to do with your willpower and more to do with the efficacy of the product itself. Today’s guest, Adam Alter, literally wrote the book on how technology is designed to captivate our brains, override our willpower, and manipulate us into addictive behaviors. 

On today’s show, Adam is sharing the link between technology and addiction, and how we can take our control back. If you’re ready to break your bad digital habits and gain a deeper understanding of the psychological effects of technology, this episode of The Model Health Show is for you! 

In this episode you’ll discover:

• The average amount of time an adult in the US spends on their phone. 
• How technology has been designed to hook us. 
• Why your willpower is like a gas tank.
• How apps are designed to overcome your willpower.
• The smartest and most important feature that Facebook designed.
• How humans have evolved to be sensitive to negative emotions. 
• What behavioral addiction is, and why all humans are susceptible.
• Why context matters when it comes to addiction.
• How virtual learning impacts our children.
• What digital amnesia is.
• Why boredom is an important for your creativity. 
• Ways to better manage the use of your devices. 
• How to create an environment that minimizes your technology exposure. 
• What the opposite of screen time is. 

Items mentioned in this episode include:

• Themodelhealthshow.com/beekeepers  — Get 15% off natural remedies!
• Themodelhealthshow.com/foursigmatic  — Get 15% off your daily health elixirs!
• The Social Dilemma on Netflix
• TED Talk: Why Our Screens Make Us Less Happy by Adam Alter 
• Irresistible by Adam Alter 
• Intentionally Unplugged
• Connect with Adam Alter Website / Twitter 

* Download Transcript

Be sure you are subscribed to this podcast to automatically receive your episodes: 

• Apple Podcasts
• Stitcher
• Spotify
• Soundcloud

Join TMHS Facebook community - Model Nation