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b'If you\\u2019re like most people, you\\u2019ve 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\\u2019s 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 your device all the time, leaving you feeling disengaged from life.\\xa0\\n\\nWhat is it about modern technology that makes it feel so addictive? My guest\\xa0todayexplores that topic in his book,\\xa0Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked.\\xa0His name is Adam Alter and\\xa0today on the show, we discuss what makes\\xa0today\'s technology more compelling than the televisions and super Nintendos of old,\\xa0whether our itch to check our phones can really be classified as an addiction, what soldiers\' use of heroin during the Vietnam War can tell us about why our attachment to our phones is hard to shake,\\xa0and how the reward we\'re looking for on social media isn\'t actually the "likes" themselves.\\xa0Adam then shares what he thinks is the most effective tactic for taking back control of our tech, and how consumers may be able to influence the direction of its future.'