92% of the American children surf internet. One in every 5 teens wake up in the middle of night to check their social media notifications. (Journal of Youth Studies)
A Canadian adult spends about 2 hours in social media on average, whereas a teenager spends about 3 and a half hours. That means, an 8-year-old kid is going to give up 15 years of his or her life in front of the screen. (dscout, 2016)
More than 2 billion people throughout the world use Facebook. It would be difficult to find a teenager who doesn’t have his/her own Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat on their smartphone. We upload almost 1.8 billion pictures on Facebook each day.
It could be seen through this facts that how enormously smartphones and the relevant messaging and communicating apps have affected us in the last 2 decades.
But are these facts separate from each other? Doesn’t it seem like there’s some kind of connection? Exactly! Some smart programmers of Silicon Valley are intentionally making the phone, app and social media with such features that are making the normal people addicted to it.
Design Classes for Addictive Technology
BJ Fogg a behavioral psychologist and a professor of Stanford
University- known in the tech circle for mastering the ways
technological design can be used to persuade people. He teaches how the
sensitive behaviors of the human psychology can be used to make
attractive and addictive technology in his class- ‘Persuasive Technology
Design Class’.One of his successful students include Nir Eyal- who has made a good place in Silicon Valley after completing his studies. He conducts courses in many states including San Francisco Bay where the participants spend as much as 1700 dollars to listen to his lectures on how to manipulate people into habitual use of their products. The participants generally include designers, programmers and tech entrepreneurs from across the world. He wrote a book named- Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products- which clarifies his intention!
Eyal wrote, “The technologies we use have turned into compulsions, if not full-fledged addictions. It’s the impulse to check a message notification. It’s the pull to visit YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter for just a few minutes, only to find yourself still tapping and scrolling an hour later. None of this is an accident. It is all just as their designers intended”. (The Guardian, 2017)
Fine Psychological Techniques
Nir Eyal wrote some fine psychological tricks in his book. For example, Variable Rewards! If someone gets the rewards all the time he would lose his interest. But when he gets them sometimes without expecting, his attraction towards it increases. And the designers use this trick in their apps too. For example ‘Likes’. The user cannot see the likes right away. The system in programmed in such a way, that the likes would accumulate at one place, then released at once according to the user’s mood. As a result, he gets excited to see the likes and visits more frequently.
Another trick is to exploit the negative emotions that can act as triggers. Feelings of boredom, loneliness, frustration, confusion and indecisiveness often instigate a slight pain or irritation and prompt an almost instantaneous and often mindless action to quell the negative sensation. Eyal said that the designers take the advantage of the moment. They shower the avalanche of likes in a distressed moment which makes the users more intrigued to use the apps during those times. (The Guardian, 2017)
More importantly, these designs are not ‘off-the-shelf’ systems applied to all! They are customized through specific algorithms targeting the individuals. Recently, it was found in a leaked private report of Facebook, that the system is able to detect when a young Facebook user is suffering from depression, loneliness or uncertainty and giving him ‘confidence boost’ accordingly. (The Guardian, 2017)
This thing is a Slot Machine- Tristan Harris
Another student of BJ Fogg- Tristan Harris- a former product manager
of Google. He didn’t get himself consumed, completely, by the capitalist
system. He also read in Stanford University and attended the persuasive
technology design classes of BJ Fogg. He was doing his Masters program
in Stamford when he started his software company. But after four years,
Google bought his company and hired him as the product manager. The
Inbox design we see in Gmail is made by Harris.But while working there he started to feel overwhelmed. He started to wonder ‘what is all this adding up to?’ He had become the those rare technologists whose designs are going to decide people’s behavior, how would they spend their time.
Harris thought, it cannot work like this. A solution must be sought. Then he prepared a 144 page presentation- A call to minimize distraction and respect user’s attention by a concerned Product Manager & Entrepreneur- which argued that the constant distraction of the emails and apps are weakening our relationships to each other, destroying’ our kids ability to focus.
It was widely read inside Google and caught the eye of one of the founders Larry Page. But it didn’t lead to any changes. His efforts and concerns were not accepted in Google.
And after 3 years he quit. Now he travels the country trying to convince programmers and anyone else who listen that the business model of tech companies needs to change. Once product designed to make the best use for a time not just grab our attention.
He said, that, ‘This thing is a slot machine. Both keeps us in a Well, every time we check our phones, we are playing the slot machine to see where did we get. We don’t know whether we’ll discover an interesting email, an avalanche of “likes”, or nothing at all. It is the possibility of disappointment that makes it so compulsive.’ And that’s how we get addicted to smartphones.
Tristan Harris is one of those rare technologists who admits openly that the companies that are programming our smartphones, are applying all their efforts, intelligence and focus to make sure we get addicted to it. (Brain hacking, 2018)
Like, emoji, follower and streaks- the return
Tristan Harris said- the rewards that a smartphone user would get are
the chance of getting 'Likes' on Facebook and Instagram, cute emojis
and text messages and new followers on Twitter, compared to the slot
machine. And there's a whole playbook of techniques that are used to get
you using for the product for as long as possible.For example, Snapchat the most popular messaging service for teenagers. It is being used by 160 million people worldwide. They invented this feature called ‘streaks’ which shows the number of days in a row that you've sent a message back and forth with someone. So now you can say, well, what’s the big deal here? Well, the problem is, that kids feel like ‘It’s been 643 days, few days will to make 1000. I don’t want to lose my streak.’ But it turns out that kids actually when they go on vacation are so stressed about their streak that they actually give their password to like 5 other kids to keep their streaks going on their behalf. And so you could ask when these features are being designed, are they designed to most help people live their life! Or they're being designed because they're best at hooking people into using the product? (Brain hacking, 2018)
Pull to Refresh
The designer who created the pull-to-refresh mechanism, first used to update Twitter feeds, is Loren Brichter. He created the feature in 2009 for Tweetie, his startup, mainly because he could not find anywhere to fit the “refresh” button on his app. Holding and dragging down the feed to update seemed at the time nothing more than a “cute and clever” fix. Twitter acquired Tweetie the following year, in 2010, integrating pull-to-refresh into its own app.
Brichter says he is puzzled by the longevity of the feature. In an era of push notification technology, apps can automatically update content without being nudged by the user. It could easily retire but still stays. Why? Because it appears to serve a psychological function: after all, slot machines would be far less addictive if gamblers didn’t get to pull the lever themselves! The same goes for pull to refresh. (The Guardian, 2017)
Dopamine Hit
Justin Rosenstein and Leah Pearlman are popular names of Silicon Valley. The individuals who were involved in making attractive features and designs for Facebook during 2007-2009. One of the designs was ‘like’. This feature of giving and getting likes became so popular that all social media including twitter and instagram added this in their app.
Human psychology played a big part in making the feature popular. A hormone called dopamine is secreted in human brain, however, the release is increased when something exciting happens, something better than expectation. And the brain asks to repeat the act to enhance the “happy” feeling.
The likes in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram do that. We keep on updating our posts or comments and checking news feed.
And Chris Marcellino admitted that the designer cleverly doing it. He worked as an engineer to develop various apps and design techniques during the initial times of Iphone. It was a revolutionary change, providing the infrastructure for so many experiences that now form a part of people’s daily lives, from ordering an Uber to making a Skype call to receiving breaking news updates. (The Guardian, 2017)
Why is the Facebook Notification RED?
A friend at Facebook told Harris that designers initially decided the
notification icon, which alerts people to new activity such as “friend
requests” or “likes”, should be blue. It fitted Facebook’s style and,
the thinking went, would appear subtle and innocuous. Then it was
released among their employees. But no one used it. Then they switched
it to red and of course everyone used it- since red is a trigger color,
and attracted the users more. (The Guardian, 2017)They are not neutral technology
There's always this narrative that technology is neutral and it is up to us to choose how we use it. The question is why are the makers of the technology trying to save themselves from it?
Justin Rosenstein was an important member of the team that worked with the ‘like’ feature of Facebook. He tweaked his laptop’s operating system to block Reddit, banned himself from Snapchat, which he compares to heroin, and imposed limits on his use of Facebook. But even that wasn’t enough. Rosenstein purchased a new iPhone and instructed his assistant to set up a parental-control feature to prevent him from downloading any apps. (The Guardian, 2017)
Another individual to follow his footsteps was Leah Pearlman- another active member of the team who invented ‘like’ and announced the feature in a 2009 blog post. Pearlman became so tired of Facebook that she changed her profession from a computer engineer to an illustrator. She is a practicing Buddhist who meditates every day. Through Dharma Comics, she publishes drawings of stick figures who capture her emotions by waxing philosophical on the best ways to live a fulfilled life. She has installed a web browser plug-in to eradicate her Facebook news feed, and hired a social media manager to monitor her Facebook page so that she doesn’t have to. (The Ringer, 2017)
These points at only one thing, that the creators of the techs have consciously used such addictive features which keeps the people hooked and they earn money.
Fight for your Attention!
Tristan Harris said that it has become a fight for the user’s
attention. The technology companies are in a competition to grab your
attention for longer and they would do anything for that without
considering your wish or your well being. For example- YouTube! This
video app suggests various more videos before a video even ends. It
doesn’t matter if you want to watch them or not. According to Tristan
Harris, a technology for the welfare of others wouldn’t have ethics like
this.Again, what would be its biggest competition of YouTube? Maybe Facebook. Because the opportunity cost of spending time on Facebook is spending time on YouTube. Therefore, the companies are ready to do anything to fight and win this competition of keeping your attention, even at the cost of your sleep. Few days ago the CEO of Netflix- one of the biggest entertainment company of America- said that the 3 biggest competition of Netflix is 1. YouTube 2. Facebook and 3. Sleep. (The Guardian, 2017)
The person has a limited time and he is going to spend that on something he is attracted to! Hence they are fighting to grasp the available time an individual has, making more attractive and addictive product features. Therefore, be sure that there are thousands of programmers currently working behind the screens to make the apps as engaging as possible, so you don’t leave your phone.
Brain Hacker
‘Brain Hacker is a programmer who understands how the brain works and
knows how to write code that will get the brain to do certain things.’-
said Ramsey Brown- a computer programmer. Brown works at his own
software firm in Venice, California, where he and his colleagues write
computer codes for apps to log in those apps frequently.The thing is, even though he is a computer programmer Ramsey has studied neuroscience as well. He named his firm ‘Dopamine lab’- after the dopamine molecule in our brains- that aids in the creation of desire and pleasure. And the name is justified! Because the apps that Ramsey makes are to provoke a neurological response that would make the user addicted. (Brain hacking, 2018)
Users are Guinea Pigs
The computer code he creates, finds the best moments to give you one
of those rewards which have no actual values, but Brown says, trigger
your brain to make you want more. For example, on Instagram, he told us
sometimes those ‘Likes’ come in a sudden rush. They are holding some of
them back for you to let you know later in a big burst, like, “Hey,
here’s this 30 Likes we mention while ago.’ there is some algorithm
somewhere that predicted that we can release the like’s at that specific
moment.On the other side, the user is thinking he got 30 likes at once- that’s quite amazing! He is becoming so happy that he is targeting for more likes doing absurd things; without even realizing that this is being conspired by several brain hackers like Ramsey. And the user is nothing but experimental subject maybe with an id number of 79B3 and experiment 231! So the users are guinea pigs. Guinea pigs in the box pushing the button and sometimes getting the ‘Likes’. (Brain hacking, 2018)
Few Attention Engineers are controlling minds of Millions
The people who work to get you addicted to the smartphone are quite
expert programmers of Silicon Valley- known as Attention Engineers. They
borrow principles from Las Vegas Casino Gambling, among other places
alongside gamification techniques to add the fun and competitive aspects
of video games to the Smartphone contents.If you look before in history, it has never occurred that about 50 people aging 20 to 35, at only 3 large tech companies are shaping how a billion people think and feel everyday with the choices they make about these screens. Scientists say that the use of smartphone should be more concerning than using a slot machine or gambling; as you are carrying this ‘slot machine’ in your pocket all the time. (Ted Talk, 2017)
Creators of the Tech don’t use it themselves!
‘Tech products make people addicted’- if this was a lie then why did
the makers of the products put strict control over the use of the
products to their children?Like Justin Rosenstein and Leah Pearlman, there are other famous technologists like Chamath Palihapitiya and Loren Britchter, who don’t use those things.
Loren Britchter was the inventor of Pull-to-refresh feature. He says, ‘I’ve spent many hours and weeks and months and years thinking about whether anything I’ve done has made a net positive impact on society or humanity at all.’ He has blocked certain websites, turned off push notifications, restricted his use of the Telegram app to message only with his wife and two close friends, and tried to wean himself off Twitter. He charges his phone in the kitchen, plugging it in at 7pm and not touching it until the next morning. (The Guardian, 2017)
Chamath Palihapitiya- former Facebook executive- joined Facebook right after it was established in 2006. His main job was to ensure user growth, where he isn’t an active user himself. He gave about 6/7 posts in last 10 years. (Quantum, 2018) There are about 12 people to administer Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook account.
Because they know about the bad effects of these products despite pushing millions of people into this addiction. And Facebook admitted to that on December 2017. The former president of Facebook Sean Parker said about the techniques used to make the users addicted to it. He said that we carefully applied those techniques on Facebook and other similar social media that are going to waste people’s time and attention. (Quantum, 2018)
The richest man in the world- Bill Gates. His company Microsoft is ruling with pride at the lowest price, in the computer world. But he doesn’t allow his children to use computer for more than 45 minutes. Not just that, he did not permit his children to own a mobile phone until they turned 14.
Even before a new model of Iphone is launched in the market, hundreds and thousands of pieces are sold online. The gadget that creates such a hype, its own creator doesn’t let his children use them. When asked in an interview, when the Ipad first came into the market, whether his children liked the new device, he replied: “They haven't used it. We limit how much technology our kids use at home." The executives of Google, Apple and Yahoo prefer sending their children to schools with limited use o computers, smartphones, tabs and other gadgets.
These tech mafias are no different than the drug dealers- making others addicted to it while keeping themselves safe. They are making billions from these technologies while raising their children without them. The children of the technologists of Silicon Valley go to such schools that don’t even use laptop let alone iphone or ipads. (The Independent, 2017)
Business comes First
And the whole this whole thing is happening for the business success, for financial success. The owner of the Casino who arranges the platform for the gambling benefit the most from the games! Likewise, the most benefited from making us addicted to the apps of the smartphones are the social media companies. The more time you spend on the screen the more information would they be able to collect about you and they would be able to show you more ads to earn from the advertisers. You might think you are using Facebook for free, gaining so many information without any cost. But it’s nothing like that. They are not here for social service! They are getting huge amount of money from the big advertising companies for showing their ads to you. People have started to give such personal information on social media, these days, that it’s not even difficult to collect the relevant information from there. Hence it becomes easier to make them buy things. (Brain hacking, 2018)
The system of consumerist society
And this is how it goes in the consumerist society. People who earn by convincing you to become a “consumer”, can never think of your welfare. Then they won’t be able to do what they are doing now! They won’t be able to earn anymore. Therefore, there is no point of thinking that they would take any step to change the situation. (Brain hacking, 2018)
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