"I spent my early 20s at Google learning how to hack human attention. I analyzed data to understand exactly how to get people to click, scroll, and stay hooked to YouTube or Google Search. I was good at it. The work was fascinating, using behavioral science and machine learning to predict and influence what billions of people would do next."
"What I didn't realize then was that I was helping build the architecture of addiction that now defines modern life. Last month, a billboard went up on Canal Street in NYC: " Scrolling Kills. " It kills our attention. Our time. The moments with our children, our ideas, our lives. Within hours, it was everywhere, not because of clever marketing, but because it named what millions feel every day."
A former Google employee learned techniques to maximize engagement using behavioral science and machine learning to get people to click, scroll, and stay hooked on platforms like YouTube and Search. That work contributed to an architecture of addiction that now shapes daily life. Visible reactions like a "Scrolling Kills" billboard reflect widespread recognition. Over one hundred million people downloaded focus apps last year as hours vanish into algorithmic black holes. Parents are limiting their own phone time; adults struggle to model behavior. Productivity has stalled because attention is constantly interrupted. Willpower cannot overcome systems engineered for irresistible engagement. Warning labels are only a partial remedy.
Read at Fortune
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