Constantly Checking Your Inbox? Email Addiction Explained November 4, 2009

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Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/10/27/The_Tyranny_of_E-mail_John_Freeman

John Freeman describes the psychology behind compulsive email checking. He explains that the neurological effects of constantly checking your inbox are similar to those of playing a slot machine. "Rather than reward an action every time it is performed, you reward it sometimes, but not in a predictable way," he says.

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John Freeman talks about The Tyranny of E-mail: The Four Thousand Year Journey to Your Inbox.

The former president of the National Book Critics Circle and current American Editor of Granta, gives us a history of people's need for correspondence. He examines the astonishing growth of e-mail -- how it is changing lives, and not always for the better. - Book Passage

John Freeman is Acting Editor of Granta Magazine. As American editor of Granta, he has gone around the country visiting M.F.A. programs and English departments telling aspiring writers about his magazine, giving out discounted subscriptions and encouraging everyone to submit their work.