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Your Happiness Was Hacked: Why Tech Is Winning the Battle to Control Your Brain--and How to Fight Back
Technology promises to help us achieve our dreams, connect us to everyone, and free up time--so why are we more miserable then ever? Wadhwa and Salkever show that our unhappiness can be traced to a concerted effort by tech companies to mold our thoughts and behavior to accomplish their goals.
For all its considerable benefits, many argue that technology has been instrumental in eroding security, privacy, and community. But Vivek Wadhwa and Alex Salkever argue that the truth is far more insidious: technology is actively robbing us of our happiness by making us so reliant on it that it becomes an addiction. Tech companies have all the weapons--sophisticated tracking bots, GPS coordinates, and algorithms that determine the optimal ways to distract us to their products and apps--even secret coding that defeats government monitoring and supervision--but Vivek and Salkever now provide us with insights and techniques to fight back. They focus on four key areas: Love, Work, Self, and Society. In each case, they document how the promise of technology has mutated into addiction and despair, and they lay out strategies to take back control by understanding the addictive mechanisms at the root of technology overload.
For all its considerable benefits, many argue that technology has been instrumental in eroding security, privacy, and community. But Vivek Wadhwa and Alex Salkever argue that the truth is far more insidious: technology is actively robbing us of our happiness by making us so reliant on it that it becomes an addiction. Tech companies have all the weapons--sophisticated tracking bots, GPS coordinates, and algorithms that determine the optimal ways to distract us to their products and apps--even secret coding that defeats government monitoring and supervision--but Vivek and Salkever now provide us with insights and techniques to fight back. They focus on four key areas: Love, Work, Self, and Society. In each case, they document how the promise of technology has mutated into addiction and despair, and they lay out strategies to take back control by understanding the addictive mechanisms at the root of technology overload.
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First published June 5, 2018
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June 10, 2021With technology so present in our lives, I often wonder: have we gone too far? I recently read “Your Happiness Was Hacked” by Alex Salkever and Vivek Wadhwa, and was captivated by their take on this question — add it to your list!
July 9, 2018
Enjoyable quick read with a nice overview of the concerns associated with technology as used in our lives. Unfortunately, it did not have any thoughtful paradigms on how to approach tech in your life other than a list of questions that a second grader could have developed. I was hoping for more than a referral to their website on what to do about the problem they write about that most people already acknowledges is a problem. Reads like a longer version of an article for the New York Times Magazine. Didn’t need to be a whole book,
August 14, 2021
There's this thing about star ratings that I find entirely limiting.
"Your Happiness was Hacked" is one of those books that everyone must read for the sheer importance of underlining how we are all dependent on our devices and can't seem to stay away from them. For that, the book deserves 5 stars.
At the same time, there are parts of the book that are research-heavy and while I, for one, don't mind them at all, there may be others who find it obstructing the flow and readability. For this (and purely for those who prefer a more anecdotal flow to their non-fiction) this gets 4 stars.
I do especially appreciate the fact that Wadhwa does not shy away from placing the onus of responsibility on the creators of tech and not merely the users. There's a lot of research that explains why we are addicted to our devices and when you read the book, you start looking at your phone with a completely new filter; As the thing that steals your attention: one of your most valuable assets.
I wish there were a few more chapters devoted to breaking free of the addictive nature of tech although there is one particular chapter that creates a set of 6 questions you should ask yourself when it comes to any application or platform.
Probably a more practical book in that domain is Catherine Price's book, 'How to Break Up with Your Phone.'
All told, a book you must read in order to take back control of your life, reconnect with life the way it ought to be lived and foregoing the idea of instant response and instant gratification that phones induce in us all.
Our brains are not slot machines; let's stop treating them that way.
"Your Happiness was Hacked" is one of those books that everyone must read for the sheer importance of underlining how we are all dependent on our devices and can't seem to stay away from them. For that, the book deserves 5 stars.
At the same time, there are parts of the book that are research-heavy and while I, for one, don't mind them at all, there may be others who find it obstructing the flow and readability. For this (and purely for those who prefer a more anecdotal flow to their non-fiction) this gets 4 stars.
I do especially appreciate the fact that Wadhwa does not shy away from placing the onus of responsibility on the creators of tech and not merely the users. There's a lot of research that explains why we are addicted to our devices and when you read the book, you start looking at your phone with a completely new filter; As the thing that steals your attention: one of your most valuable assets.
I wish there were a few more chapters devoted to breaking free of the addictive nature of tech although there is one particular chapter that creates a set of 6 questions you should ask yourself when it comes to any application or platform.
Probably a more practical book in that domain is Catherine Price's book, 'How to Break Up with Your Phone.'
All told, a book you must read in order to take back control of your life, reconnect with life the way it ought to be lived and foregoing the idea of instant response and instant gratification that phones induce in us all.
Our brains are not slot machines; let's stop treating them that way.
January 25, 2020
The premise of the book instantly made me pick it up and hence the reading followed. I must agree that the book does bring out the serious concerns arising from technology. The good part is that the book does not outrightly say that one must cut off completely from technology. The reasons are well substantiated in the book. Personally speaking it would have been great if more material was provided for organising the technology we use.
January 29, 2019
Initial thoughts: This is one of those books that consolidates what you probably already know, backs that knowledge up with research and makes a plea for readers to actually act upon that knowledge. I think by now, most of us are aware about the negative impact of technology and social media on our relationships and health. Vivek Wadhwa and Alex Salkever, however, acknowledge the benefits of technology as well, which is why they strive for balance and are all about human agency.
Even though there was hardly any new information for me, for some, the stats they cited might still come as a surprise. Their suggestions on how to limit and control our use of technology are accessible, and are beneficial not only for those who decide to follow these suggestions but also for the people who interact with them.
Even though there was hardly any new information for me, for some, the stats they cited might still come as a surprise. Their suggestions on how to limit and control our use of technology are accessible, and are beneficial not only for those who decide to follow these suggestions but also for the people who interact with them.
July 13, 2018
I heard one of the authors interviewed on the Michael Smerconish show and like most people, related to the problem. The authors make some excellent points in the book about how technology works and how it’s programmed to spike our additive tendencies.
But this could have been an article and most of the tips are obvious.
But this could have been an article and most of the tips are obvious.
January 9, 2024
An important book for just about everyone. Why? Because all the evidence shows that more technology does not equal more happiness, fulfilment, compassion, empathy or spirituality - in fact, the opposite is true. The relationship is an inverse one. More technology has brought on increased levels of narcissism, anxiety, emotional disconnection, mental issues, chronic laziness and suicide. As Vivek Wadhwa sums up in one of his subheadings in this book, "Technology is making us lonelier and sadder". Why is this so? Largely because many people have allowed technology to become their master rather than their slave - they pander to "notifications" on multiple media channels, they clamour for "likes" and "followers", they feel powerless if they lose a mobile phone signal or home WiFi signal for even a few minutes, and they spend more time staring at screens than they do looking at actual organic living beings. None of that is healthy. I suspect that most people already know this instinctively, yet most do nothing about it. That's what I'd describe as cognitive dissonance: knowing that something is bad for you, yet continuing to do it anyway. In this book, Vivek and his co-writers present a wealth of information on why spending more time on the Internet is bad for you in myriad ways. They also suggest many commonsense ways of reversing this, in order to regain your autonomy and become master of your tech, not slave to it. All the book's contributors have decades of experience in the Big Tech realm and so are in an ideal position to examine the vastly increasing use of, for example, social media, from the perspective of both the providers and the consumers. One telling fact is that all the major social media platforms, and many of the dating ones too (Tinder, for example) deliberately incorporated the same psychological "hooking" tools used in the gambling industry, particularly slot machines, with great effect. Think about it. You're on Facebook and a little red bell lights up - ding ding, notification! Just like the slot machines. At first, this gives a little dopamine buzz, just as happens when playing the slots. But over time, due to the mind's adaptation and the law of diminishing returns, that dopamine hit doesn't happen like it used to. Rather, anxiety takes over, but by that time the behaviour is Pavlovian and the consumer, more often than not, hooked. So if you've ever been deluded enough to believe that the operators behind social media sites actually give a shit about your mental health, emotional connectedness or overall well-being, think again. Just remember, Ding ding, notification! Ding ding, insert another quarter into the slot machine! That's all you are to them: a mug to be manipulated and exploited, regardless of the cost to you. This will come as a wake-up call to many people, but it's a necessary and long-overdue one.
A recommended read. In case you don't have time to read the book (maybe because you're too busy checking all your notifications!), I'll summarise it for you: spend less time on the Internet, spend more time away from mobile phones, laptops and other devices, spend more time in Nature, walking in the woods, hanging out with animals, or even spending time with actual human beings, talking face to face, you know... the old-fashioned way folk used to talk to each other in the days before they started looking at pixelated versions of each other instead, staring mindlessly at mobile phone screens or laptops. This, as Mando would say, is the way.
A recommended read. In case you don't have time to read the book (maybe because you're too busy checking all your notifications!), I'll summarise it for you: spend less time on the Internet, spend more time away from mobile phones, laptops and other devices, spend more time in Nature, walking in the woods, hanging out with animals, or even spending time with actual human beings, talking face to face, you know... the old-fashioned way folk used to talk to each other in the days before they started looking at pixelated versions of each other instead, staring mindlessly at mobile phone screens or laptops. This, as Mando would say, is the way.
June 28, 2020
Is technology our friend or fiend? Is it our master or are we in control? We live in a world where we cannot live without smartphones or computers. Though digital life may seem innocuous and useful, it is rather making us miserable, say Vivek and Alex, both best selling authors and former tech executives.
Technology is pervasive and is constantly updating and upgrading. The number of softwares are unfathomable and it increases everyday. Looking at the applications in a superficial manner may seem that they're created with good intentions such as to make our life easy and better, instead what they do is ensnare us and make us stagnant progressively. But all these apps have their own benefits and assist us in unprecedented ways.
Your happiness was hacked is a book that discloses all the advantages and disadvantages of Technology, it's more an expose than a self help book. It comprises research datas on technology and its effects on various aspects of life, real life incidents, obscure information and tips which we all know by now, such as social medias induce loneliness and envy, devices distract us and reduce our productivity and skills, the rise of pornography and evolution of love, how videogames diminished the vitalizing outdoor games and many more hot topics.
Alex and Vivek are former tech executives and we can observe their expertise very lucid in the papers but the efficacy of this as a self help book is a bit low. Your Happiness was Hacked is indeed an eye-opener with facts and research datas but the letdown is that we already know them except the vain research datas. It's an enjoyable quick read with lot of concerning topics but it didn't have any thoughtful methods to approach technology and devices other than some questions which are pretty obvious.
Rating - 3.5/5
Technology is pervasive and is constantly updating and upgrading. The number of softwares are unfathomable and it increases everyday. Looking at the applications in a superficial manner may seem that they're created with good intentions such as to make our life easy and better, instead what they do is ensnare us and make us stagnant progressively. But all these apps have their own benefits and assist us in unprecedented ways.
Your happiness was hacked is a book that discloses all the advantages and disadvantages of Technology, it's more an expose than a self help book. It comprises research datas on technology and its effects on various aspects of life, real life incidents, obscure information and tips which we all know by now, such as social medias induce loneliness and envy, devices distract us and reduce our productivity and skills, the rise of pornography and evolution of love, how videogames diminished the vitalizing outdoor games and many more hot topics.
Alex and Vivek are former tech executives and we can observe their expertise very lucid in the papers but the efficacy of this as a self help book is a bit low. Your Happiness was Hacked is indeed an eye-opener with facts and research datas but the letdown is that we already know them except the vain research datas. It's an enjoyable quick read with lot of concerning topics but it didn't have any thoughtful methods to approach technology and devices other than some questions which are pretty obvious.
Rating - 3.5/5
November 28, 2018
Disappointing...
Do I think that we use too much technology for our health? YES
Do I want to learn how to use it less? YES
Was I expecting to be 100% aligned with this book? YES
Unfortunately, what I read was far from what I was expecting.
All the cited studies are far from airtight, and correlation are happily mixed with causation, certainly leading sometimes to inverse causations:
- Do people feel lonely in London because they use more social network there, or do they use more social networks because you feel more lonely in big megalopolis?
- Are couples dissatisfied of their love life because they use porn , or do they use porn because they are dissatisfied with their love life?
- Do people who interact only with people online fall in a state of depression, or does depression lead you to stay inside and to interact with people only online?
I am far from convinced it always goes in the same direction.
I'm also disppointed about the solutions given to the problem.
For example, I don't agree when the authors say that Facebook and other giants need to solve the problem themselves. It all falls in our hands.
Do I think that we use too much technology for our health? YES
Do I want to learn how to use it less? YES
Was I expecting to be 100% aligned with this book? YES
Unfortunately, what I read was far from what I was expecting.
All the cited studies are far from airtight, and correlation are happily mixed with causation, certainly leading sometimes to inverse causations:
- Do people feel lonely in London because they use more social network there, or do they use more social networks because you feel more lonely in big megalopolis?
- Are couples dissatisfied of their love life because they use porn , or do they use porn because they are dissatisfied with their love life?
- Do people who interact only with people online fall in a state of depression, or does depression lead you to stay inside and to interact with people only online?
I am far from convinced it always goes in the same direction.
I'm also disppointed about the solutions given to the problem.
For example, I don't agree when the authors say that Facebook and other giants need to solve the problem themselves. It all falls in our hands.
August 25, 2024
Your Happiness Was Hacked is less advice about how to fight back against the ever-pervasive grip of technology on our attention, and more so a manifesto on how to reform the tech sector and modern office culture to ensure humans are not harmed by addictive technology. While there are a few new bits of information here and there, there is not much unexpected information in this book, as the harms of technology on our minds is well-documented. We know that self-control apps are not tremendously useful, and tech companies have no incentive to omit addictive features in their software. With that said, I think mindfulness and specific actions to separate ourselves from technology are more promising than waiting for tech companies to save us from themselves or installing another self-control app in futility. In terms of reforming office culture that encourages constant interruption, readers in management positions might have control over that, and would be in a position to implement some of the suggestions in the book.
January 9, 2019
4/5
Nice and convenient little read that is rather straight to the point. It interestingly informs the reader on the pros and cons with technology, referring to studies, relevant books in combination with their own professional and private experiences. The conclusion is however rather weak and doesn’t really provide any ground-breaking insights. Still, smaller steps and suggestions for how we can individually adapt and utilize technologies as tools in mindful ways are provided throughout. Likewise, the author’s points out the reckless utilization of technology development that certainly affects the health of the general public, hands down the most important point of the book. I wish there was more than the limited few ideas for how these organizations would need to become more responsible for their actions in that regard. Hopefully, this book among other similar minded books and their ideas will eventually become common knowledge.
Nice and convenient little read that is rather straight to the point. It interestingly informs the reader on the pros and cons with technology, referring to studies, relevant books in combination with their own professional and private experiences. The conclusion is however rather weak and doesn’t really provide any ground-breaking insights. Still, smaller steps and suggestions for how we can individually adapt and utilize technologies as tools in mindful ways are provided throughout. Likewise, the author’s points out the reckless utilization of technology development that certainly affects the health of the general public, hands down the most important point of the book. I wish there was more than the limited few ideas for how these organizations would need to become more responsible for their actions in that regard. Hopefully, this book among other similar minded books and their ideas will eventually become common knowledge.
March 16, 2019
Lots of anecdotal evidence and personal experience / analysis, not much on offer by way of an antidote. Three stars for raising awareness:
"In some cases, resolution of problems resulting from technology design and build may require government intervention. Though we would hope that companies would recognize when what they are doing is clearly not in the public interest, the profit motive may be too deeply ingrained, as has been borne out in other industries that foster deep addictions, such as the tobacco and alcohol industries, the gambling industry, and the processed-food (junk-food) industry." (page 178)
"In some cases, resolution of problems resulting from technology design and build may require government intervention. Though we would hope that companies would recognize when what they are doing is clearly not in the public interest, the profit motive may be too deeply ingrained, as has been borne out in other industries that foster deep addictions, such as the tobacco and alcohol industries, the gambling industry, and the processed-food (junk-food) industry." (page 178)
September 3, 2020
I really wanted to like this! Based on the description, I was expecting this to be a bit more heavy on the human psychology of our societal addition to social media and our smart phones. Most of the book was about how tech is damaging our relationships, love lives, work life, etc... which feels like something most folks who are picking up this kind of book already know. All told, there wasn't *that* much on the human psychology of tech addiction (e.g. the battle to control your brain). What it had was mostly a discussion of habit loops/habit formation/behavioral addiction. This theme is covered extensively in most modern self-help books, so I didn't find it that revolutionary.
September 15, 2018
Interesting book that covers the topic of how technology shapes our daily habits and decisions. More specifically how UX design and decisions take over user's time and experience and what data show the adverse effects on our lives. On the negative side the argument's obsession on technology's adverse effects somehow reminded me of the negative television watching arguments of earlier decades. Still pretty good read.
September 10, 2020
A great book with a blend of technological backing up of facts (which at times might be overwhelming for a common man) and insights into how people who are creators of technology itself take measures to maintain a balance yet fail at times, but still keep at it.
Definitely a book to be on the list. 👍
Definitely a book to be on the list. 👍
September 2, 2018
Well researched book
this book gives a detailed account of the negative effects of technology and social media on different aspects of our life. It was an insightful read with a lot to learn on how to monitor and control our online addiction.
this book gives a detailed account of the negative effects of technology and social media on different aspects of our life. It was an insightful read with a lot to learn on how to monitor and control our online addiction.
March 1, 2021
It is ironic that I ‘read’ this as an audiobook. It continually made me feel like putting my phone away and just tuning out on my train commute like I did many years ago.
Thoughtful and poignant, this book helps on my continual journey towards regaining control over my time.
Thoughtful and poignant, this book helps on my continual journey towards regaining control over my time.
December 26, 2021
An Excellent book for everyone to read.
It shows the writers have done their research on the matter and are addressing a huge problem with today's society, the rapid evolution of technology and the effect it has on mankind.
It shows the writers have done their research on the matter and are addressing a huge problem with today's society, the rapid evolution of technology and the effect it has on mankind.
June 5, 2024
Ver simply to read and reminds us of the numerous ways technology has control over us. Such control disrupts deep work, reduces our attention span and makes us less human and humane. Thank you for the reminder.
July 5, 2018
Another GREAT book by Vivek Wadhwa!!! Extremely insightful! Your Happiness Was Hacked is packed full of science backed data on the negative effects of today's tech. The book is not prescriptive but rather flexible, offering readers numerous ways to regain control and use tech as a benefit instead of a drain.
August 4, 2018
Very interesting and contemplative read. I have had the pleasure to know Vivek for the past 15 years and appreciate his passion for exposing reality among current trends.
February 16, 2019
Highly recommend
May 11, 2020
The book positions itself at the intersection of important and interesting topics but it didn't deliver anything particularly novel.
May 30, 2021
Sound, reasoned advice for taking back control of your life from smartphones and social media.
Best tip: consciously put your damn phone down and turn your internet off.
Best tip: consciously put your damn phone down and turn your internet off.
Read
September 28, 2021An enlightening read being an active social media user and working with a tech giant myself.
April 13, 2025
As a father particularly, makes me think how we should be setting up protective systems around technology
January 19, 2020
It was okay, although I feel as though it was written for someone who's never once considered the possibility that technology and social media may not be good for our brains. I feel like my hand was being led the entire way and that I now have a lot of useless facts to support what I already knew. I found it repetitive and slow. This entire book has the same energy as a school research paper. I agree with the points it brings up but I also didn't learn anything new.
June 4, 2024
We can say that in today's world almost everyone has a smartphone. The book shown in the above photo, discusses mainly about the ill effects of electronics(Smartphones, gaming, laptop etc.,).
The book mainly describes how Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp etc., has all made us as slaves.
Social media make their business based on the hormone Dopamine in our brain. For example when we get a like notification on Facebook or a new follower on Twitter, we get a small surge of Dopamine in our brain. This makes us feel good. In due course of time, this becomes a urge to use social media and gaming. This holds good for frequently checking e-mails, slack, WhatsApp also. This effect is comparable to addiction with alcohol and substance abuse.
Further today applications like WhatsApp and slack have made us to check for work related messages all round the clock. This has lead to a situation where we have to look to our phones all the time.
Also today pornography has become a big business. This has caused problems for both the genders and has not even spared children. The family lives of many has become problematic.
So these latest advances can be compared to a double edged sword with both positives and negatives. This book talks about how to handle these issues.
The book mainly describes how Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp etc., has all made us as slaves.
Social media make their business based on the hormone Dopamine in our brain. For example when we get a like notification on Facebook or a new follower on Twitter, we get a small surge of Dopamine in our brain. This makes us feel good. In due course of time, this becomes a urge to use social media and gaming. This holds good for frequently checking e-mails, slack, WhatsApp also. This effect is comparable to addiction with alcohol and substance abuse.
Further today applications like WhatsApp and slack have made us to check for work related messages all round the clock. This has lead to a situation where we have to look to our phones all the time.
Also today pornography has become a big business. This has caused problems for both the genders and has not even spared children. The family lives of many has become problematic.
So these latest advances can be compared to a double edged sword with both positives and negatives. This book talks about how to handle these issues.
January 2, 2022
Our tech addiction has made it hard for us to sit still or even simply to pay attention.
The current generations may be the last who remember a life before this technology invasion overwhelmed us.
A feed of world news becomes a list built by a nameless faceless algorithm of topics and events the system decides interests us.
Most studies find that kids are playing outside about 50% less than their parents did.
We are letting technology cut our connection to nature.
We never turned on the television in the middle of the night when we went to the bathroom.
Our growing reliance on digital information makes us less and less likely to attempt to recall simple facts rather than Google them.
Car companies could simply block mobile phone texting or voice usage while the car is moving. But fixing problems when your customers don't want the fixes takes a real commitment.
Chinese Internet game operators are mandated to install anti addiction systems whereby the first three hours of play proceed normally, but the games themselves award points more slowly for the next two hours, after which users receive in game warnings like you have entered unhealthy game time, please offline immediately to rest. If you do not, your health will be damaged, and your points will be cut to zero.
The current generations may be the last who remember a life before this technology invasion overwhelmed us.
A feed of world news becomes a list built by a nameless faceless algorithm of topics and events the system decides interests us.
Most studies find that kids are playing outside about 50% less than their parents did.
We are letting technology cut our connection to nature.
We never turned on the television in the middle of the night when we went to the bathroom.
Our growing reliance on digital information makes us less and less likely to attempt to recall simple facts rather than Google them.
Car companies could simply block mobile phone texting or voice usage while the car is moving. But fixing problems when your customers don't want the fixes takes a real commitment.
Chinese Internet game operators are mandated to install anti addiction systems whereby the first three hours of play proceed normally, but the games themselves award points more slowly for the next two hours, after which users receive in game warnings like you have entered unhealthy game time, please offline immediately to rest. If you do not, your health will be damaged, and your points will be cut to zero.
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