Dr. Mary Aiken:

We describe that as variable ratio and intermittent reinforcement aspects of technology, which is a fancy way of saying it is like a giant slot machine. It is far more addictive, however, than intermittent messaging. If every message was good or every message was bad, then it would not be as addictive as occasional messaging. Imagine it as playing a slot machine and every so often one wins. The problem with kids is that it becomes a feedback loop. The phones are designed to be addictive. The average adult looks at his or her phone 200 times a day and touches it 2,000 times a day. High-end users will touch it 5,000 times a day. We are focusing on kids but we have to think about adults' use of devices. Children look to adults in the context of how they use their devices. We must focus on how that influences children's behaviour. If a caregiver to a young child is constantly engaging with his or her device, that means he or she has not looked at the child 200 times and not touched them 2,500 times. That is problematic.

The phones are designed in terms of signal theory. The phone's lights are designed to attract one's attention, as are the vibration and the visual aspects. These devices are designed to tap into our psychological Achilles heel. They diminish us rather than making us better as humans.