A Few of My Notes: Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked

As I review my notes and move over more to my website, I wanted to share some interesting ones that I read in Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked

-The word addiction has only implied substance abuse for two centuries, but hominids have been addicted to substances for thousands of years. DNA evidence suggests that Neanderthals carried a gene known as DRD47R as long as 40,000 years ago. DRD47R is responsible for a constellation of behaviors that set Neanderthals apart from earlier hominids including risk taking, novelty seeking, and sensation seeking. Where pre-Neanderthal hominids were timid and risk averse, Neanderthals were constantly exploring and rarely satisfied. A variant of DRD47R, known as DRD44R, is still present in about 10% of the population who are far more likely than others to be daredevils and serial attacks.

-It is the people who are forced to exercise willpower who fall first. Those who avoid temptation in the first place tend to do much better. This is why it is important to construct your environment where temptations are far away.

-China was the first country to declare internet addiction a clinical disorder. There are more than 400 treatment facilities in China.

-In August 2012, Netflix introduced a subtle new feature called post play. As one episode of a series ended, the next one would play automatically. Before August 2012, you had to decide to watch the next episode. After August 2012, you had to decide to not watch the next episode.

-Ear worms are catchy songs that play over and over again in your head. Jeff Peretz, a music professor at New York University, believes that some ear worms achieve cult status because they contain cliffhangers that never resolve. The Earth, Wind, and Fire song September is an example of one of these types of songs—it has an endless loop.

-In studies, it has been shown that people are more likely to remember unfinished tasks than finished ones. These events were memorable due to

I have a few dozen more notes from this book on my website. If you would like to see them and check out other notes, you can find my website link in the comments.

by NoteClimber