If you’re like most people, you’ve got a powerful computer in your back pocket that allows you to listen to this podcast, check the score of your favorite team, and learn the population of Mickey Mantle’s hometown of Commerce, OK (answer: 2,473). Our smartphones are a blessing, but for many people they can also feel like a curse. You feel compelled to check ... Show More
Aug 25
The Lost Virtue of Thumos (And Why Men Need It)
The ancient Greeks believed the human soul had three parts: reason, appetite, and something called thumos. Thumos is difficult to translate into English. It encompasses anger, noble spiritedness, pride, ambition, a sense of honor, and the drive to act. The Greeks thought it was e ... Show More
53m 5s
Nov 2020
How Addictive Technology Keeps You Hooked with Professor Adam Alter #132
Do you find it hard to resist the ping of a new email, the urge to scroll on social media, or watch the next episode when streaming? Do you wish you could stop checking, clicking, liking and sharing? Then put down your phone and listen to this episode. My guest today is Adam Alte ... Show More
1h 27m
Oct 2019
E54. Adam Alter Helps You Manage Your Screen Addiction
Adam Alter, author of Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked, stops by to talk about screen and tech addiction. He and Bridget discuss the billions of dollars that go into keeping us looking at our screens, from game app design to, st ... Show More
1h 26m
Aug 2025
Is your phone becoming a time suck? Try a boring phone
Phones can be addicting: There are endless texts to answer, notifications to check and games to play. We often end up on our phones without intending to. But Jose Briones, author of Low Tech Life: A guide to Mindful Digital Minimalism, says there is a solution. This episode, tips ... Show More
21m 9s
May 2017
Adam Alter: Tech Addiction or Healthy Obsession?
<p>How do you know if you're addicted to your phone? Or maybe your favorite game, app, text, snapchat, Instagram, Facebook or online shopping?</p><p>Is it even possible to be truly addicted to these things? You know, like on the level of drugs? Or are we all just being a bit too ... Show More
56m 35s