I Used to Design Addictive Algorithms. Then They Targeted My Son.

Hello everyone, it’s Peng Jiang.

I’ve been a bit quiet on this account lately, completely absorbed in writing a book. Many of you in the background have been asking for an update.

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So, let me formally introduce myself.

Before I became an anxious father, I was a seasoned “veteran” who navigated the internet world with ease.

At my core, I’ve always been the “disobedient” kid. From a poor, small town in western China to a college graduate from a non-prestigious school, my life has been a story of “defying fate” and “breaking rules.”

I was lucky enough to catch the wildest, most chaotic era of the Chinese internet. I went from a grassroots webmaster with nothing to a celebrated entrepreneur backed by millions in investment. I have personally managed internet products with over 100,000 daily active users.

What were those days like? I remember celebrating a 0.5% increase in user retention and agonizing over how to make a red notification dot look like an “unignorable wound.” In that world, this was my “profession,” and these were my “achievements.”

This deep insight into human nature and rules once made me believe I could be “the cool dad,” effortlessly guiding my two children to victory in the digital world.

Until one quiet afternoon, I discovered that the very “weapons” I had once used for commercial success were now turned, with pinpoint accuracy, against my own child.

I will never forget that scene. I saw my 8-year-old son, after finishing an exhilarating game, staring blankly at his screen, endlessly scrolling through short videos. He wasn’t “playing”; he was “being fed.”

As a so-called “rule maker,” for the first time, I felt real fear.

This gut-wrenching pain from an “insider” was far deeper and more piercing than any anxiety over falling grades. It was this fear that ultimately led me to write this book, Above the Algorithm.

Why did I have to write this book?

Because I have a story that must be told. This is not just a father’s parenting puzzle; it’s the profound reflection of a “rule maker” on the rules he himself helped create. I was the guy who knew how to leverage human nature to design “addictive” mechanisms. When I saw these cold, commercial weapons silently targeting the child I love most, I felt a visceral pain. This unique, conflicted journey is what I must share with all parents. I hope my honesty can serve as a wake-up call for everyone.

Because I have an illusion that must be shattered. I want to shatter the prevailing illusion in our society — and especially in our hearts as parents — that the competition of the future is still an “arms race” of grades, talents, and elite schools. As an entrepreneur who rose from the bottom and has seen the world’s leading edge, I know that the real battle of the future is a battle of the “mind.” It’s about whether one can think independently amidst the noise, guard one’s inner peace amidst temptation, and command new tools to create amidst change. I must speak this “truth” to help parents break free from ineffective anxiety.

And because I have a transformation that must be completed. All the insights into technology, business, and human nature that I’ve accumulated in the first half of my life would be meaningless if they couldn’t be transformed into a force to protect and empower the next generation. I must complete this transformation — to turn the courage of our generation to break “old rules” into the wisdom that helps the next generation master the “new rules.” This book is the vessel for that mission.

So, what does this book aim to achieve?

Its success is not measured by sales alone, but by its ability to deliver value on three levels:

First, for you, dear parents: I hope it brings you “a cognitive upgrade” and “an actionable playbook.”

Cognitive Upgrade (To bring you clarity): You will no longer be anxious about the surface-level issues of “gaming” or “video-watching.” Instead, you will deeply understand that the real work is to build your child’s three core abilities: to discern truth, to guard their inner world, and to master AI as a tool.

Actionable Playbook (To empower you with tools): This book is a family “toolkit.” From the “1-minute three-question rule” to spot fake news, to the “10-minute digital detox” game, I offer not theories, but “weapons” and “toys” that can be used in your home immediately.

Second, for our children: This book’s ultimate goal is them. I hope that by empowering you, we can ultimately build three pillars in our children:

A child who “thinks” more: When faced with information, their first instinct is to “scrutinize,” not just “accept.”

A child who is mentally “strong”: They can enjoy the convenience of the digital world without being “hijacked” by it, maintaining ownership of their emotions.

A child who embraces the “future”: They are not afraid of AI but are curious, able to use it as a partner and tool for creation.

Finally, I have a greater ambition: I hope this book can be like a stone cast into the lake of family education, creating ripples. I hope it can spark a discussion about “In the age of AI, what should be the core of our education?” and push more parents, educators, and even product designers to rethink the relationship between “technology” and “humanity.”

I hope it can be the beginning of a “new standard.”

The process of writing this book has also been a journey of self-redemption for me. My two children, Ranya (in Canada) and Yinhe Li (in Changsha), were my co-creators and harshest critics. It was they who, time and again, used their “digital native” perspective to correct the biases of this “digital immigrant.”

Ranya even wrote me a note the other day. She said, “I honestly wish my dad could have read the book he wrote, ten years earlier. Maybe then we would have had fewer fights, and more explorations like the ones we have now.”

Her words brought tears to my eyes and made me feel that all this effort was worthwhile.

If you, like me, are living in this rapidly changing era, enjoying the convenience of technology while also being deeply worried about your children’s future, then I sincerely invite you to open this book.

We are not education experts. We are just parents who saw the storm coming earlier and are determined to build a sturdy ship for our children.

On this great voyage, we are together.

Find the book here: (I hope you’ll click “Follow” or “Add to Wishlist” if you’re a fellow parent)

Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FNNJJYD7

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNNJJYD7