Why|Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens欲罢不能(电子设备为什么让我们上瘾)

In a new book, “Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked,” social psychologist Adam Alter warns that many of us—youngsters, teenagers, adults—are addicted to modern digital products. Not figuratively(adv. 比喻地;象征性地), but literally addicted.

在新书《不可抗拒:成瘾科技的兴起和让我们欲罢不能的生意》(Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked)中,社会心理学家亚当·阿尔塔(Adam Alter)发出警告,称我们——不管是儿童、青少年,还是成人——中有许多人对现代电子产品上瘾。这不是比喻,而是真正的上瘾。
本段包含词汇
* irresistible /??r?’z?st?bl/ adj.无法抗拒的
* addictive /?’d?kt?v/ adj.使人上瘾的
* psychologist /sa?'k?l?d??st/ n.心理学家
* be addicted to 沉溺于…
* digital /‘d?d??tl/ adj.数字的;数码的
* literally /‘l?t?r?li/ adv.逐字地;照字面地;确实地,真正地
Alter, 36, is an associate professor at the Stern School of Business at New York University who researches psychology and marketing. We spoke for two hours last week at the offices of The New York Times. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity.
36岁的阿尔塔是纽约大学斯特恩商学院(Stern School of Business at New York University)一名研究心理学和营销的副教授。上周,我们在《纽约时报》的办公室里进行了两个小时的交谈。为了表述的清晰与简洁,我们的谈话经过了编辑和缩减。
本段包含词汇
* associate /?’s???ie?t/ adj.副的;联合的 v.联想;联合
* psychology /sa?’k?l?d?i/ n.心理;心理学
* condense /k?n’dens/ v.浓缩;凝结;缩短
* clarity /‘kl?r?ti/ n.清楚;透明


Q: What makes you think that people have become addicted to digital devices and social media?

问:是什么让你觉得人们已经对电子设备和社交媒体上瘾?
A: In the past, we thought of addiction as mostly related to chemical substances: heroin, cocaine, nicotine. Today, we have this phenomenon of behavioral addictions where, one tech industry leader told me, people are spending nearly three hours a day tethered(拴住) to their cellphones. Where teenage boys sometimes spend weeks alone in their rooms playing video games. Where Snapchat will boast that its youthful users open their app more than 18 times a day.
答:过去,我们认为上瘾大多和化学物质有关:海洛因、可卡因、尼古丁。如今出现了一种行为成瘾现象。这表现在,一位科技行业领袖曾告诉我,人们每天有将近3个小时是花在手机上。十几岁的男孩有时会独自在房间里玩数周电子游戏。Snapchat会夸耀自己的年轻用户每天打开app的次数超过18次。
本段包含词汇
*chemical /‘kem?kl/ adj.化学的
*substance /‘s?bst?ns/ n.实质;物质
*phenomenon /f?’n?m?n?n/ n.现象
*behavioral /b?’he?vj?r?l/ adj.行为的
*boast /b??st/ v.自夸;吹牛;以...为荣
Behavioral addictions are really widespread now. A 2011 study suggested that 41 percent of us have at least one. That number is sure to have risen with the adoption of newer more addictive social networking platforms, tablets
and smartphones.
行为成瘾现在真的很普遍了。2011年的一项研究显示,我们中41%的人至少有一种成瘾行为。随着更多更新的成瘾社交网络平台、平板电脑和智能手机被采用,那个数字势必还会上升。
本段包含词汇
*widespread /‘wa?dspred/ adj.分布(或散布)广的;普遍的
*platform /‘pl?tf??m/ n.平台;站台
*tablet /‘t?bl?t/ n.平板电脑
Q: How do you define “addiction?”
问:你如何定义“成瘾”?
A: The definition I go with is that it has to be something you enjoy doing in the short term, that undermines your well-being in the long term — but that you do compulsively anyway.
答:我理解的成瘾必须是你在短时间内乐于去做、但从长期看会损害你的健康的事——但你还是会强迫性地去做。
本段包含词汇
*undermine /??nd?’ma?n/ v.逐渐削弱;暗中损害
*well-being n.康乐;安宁
【Why|Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens欲罢不能(电子设备为什么让我们上瘾)】*compulsively /k?m’p?ls?vli/ adv.强迫地

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