Hooked by Design

Why do our minds feel so overloaded in a world built to keep us scrolling, comparing, striving and wanting more? In Hooked by Design, Ramya Ranganathan argues that today's hyper-stimulating culture hijacks ancient brain systems that evolved for survival, belonging and reward. The result is that many of us feel distracted, anxious and cut off from whatever makes us feel fully alive.

Ranganathan draws on neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, coaching experience and her own struggles. She gives these brain systems a cast of inner characters: Captain Storm, the threat detector; Dopamma, the restless force of pursuit; and Serona, the voice of steadiness and enoughness. Examples from her coaching clients, classrooms, family life, social media and the workplace show how these circuits shape everyday behaviour. They explain envy over a colleague's promotion, overgiving in group chats, working without rest and joking to dodge hard conversations. They also explain expecting instant replies from loved ones, buying more than we need and mistaking information consumption for learning.

The tone is compassionate rather than shaming. The book holds that these habits are not personal failures but predictable results of old circuits operating inside exploitative modern systems. Once you understand how your brain is being used, it suggests, you can rewild it and free yourself.