How to Break Your Smartphone Addiction

In this Knowledge at Wharton podcast interview, Adam Alter discusses his book Irresistible and argues that smartphone overuse functions as a behavioral rather than substance-based habit, associated with design features like unpredictable notifications and social feedback rather than any chemical property of the device itself. He notes that smartphones have shifted from optional to socially necessary, which he says makes reducing use harder than avoiding a purely discretionary product. Alter raises a concern specific to young people: since they have never experienced a childhood without constant connectivity, he argues they lack a baseline for comparison, which he links to reduced opportunities to practice in-person social skills. He recommends concrete limits — muted notifications, tech-free hours, hidden usage metrics. TechKids Foundation includes this interview as a business-audience framing of the design critique found in his book.

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