Irresistible: The Rise of Screens and the War for Attention

Current trends suggest that the average American alive today will spend in excess of 15 years staring at his or her phone. This phenomenon reflects a recent shift in how we spend our time and attention, and in this talk with UChicago Booth, Adam Alter will track the rise of excessive phone use, its consequences for our health and well-being, and the psychological and commercial hooks that make it so difficult for us to leave our screens behind. He'll conclude by offering tentative solutions that suggest balance—rather than complete abstinence from screen tech—is the healthiest, most productive way to manage screen time.

 

TIMING

5:00 P.M. Doors open

5:30–6:00 P.M. Reception and PIMCO Decision Research Laboratories Pop-Up Study

6:00–7:00 P.M. Lecture, followed by Q&A

 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Adam Alter is an Associate Professor of Marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business, and the Robert Stansky Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellow. He also holds an affiliated appointment in the New York University Psychology Department.

Adam is the New York Times bestselling author of two books: Irresistible (2017), which considers why so many people today are addicted to screens and other tech-driven experiences, and Drunk Tank Pink (2013), which investigates how hidden forces in the world around us shape our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Adam studies human judgment and decision-making, with an emphasis on the surprising effects of subtle environmental cues on behavior. He has written for the New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, Atlantic, and WIRED, among other publications, and shared his ideas on NPR's Fresh Air, at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, and with dozens of companies around the world.

He received his Bachelor of Science (Honors Class 1, University Medal) in Psychology from the University of New South Wales and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from Princeton University, where he held the Charlotte Elizabeth Procter Honorific Dissertation Fellowship and a Fellowship in the Woodrow Wilson Society of Scholars.

Please register at the link below.