{"id":14688,"date":"2018-04-04T11:12:49","date_gmt":"2018-04-04T10:12:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/?p=14688"},"modified":"2018-06-16T15:01:29","modified_gmt":"2018-06-16T14:01:29","slug":"attention-hacking-epidemic-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/attention-hacking-epidemic-generation\/","title":{"rendered":"Attention Hacking is the Epidemic of Our Generation\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/notifications.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/notifications.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"334\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14700\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">When you look at the performance indicators of the most used apps &amp; websites you\u2019ll systematically see:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li><em>Daily Active Users<\/em><br \/>\nHow many users interact with your platform everyday?<\/li>\n<li><em>Average Time on Site<\/em><br \/>\nHow long do users stay on your platform?<\/li>\n<li><em>Stickiness or retention ratio<\/em><br \/>\nHow many users return after their first experience?<\/li>\n<li><em>Viral coefficient<\/em><br \/>\nHow many new customers are brought by existing ones?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">These are the metrics internet companies follow very closely to measure the success of their products. And there\u2019s only one thing they have in common: <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">they\u2019re just a proxy for attention stealing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Selling attention spans<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\u2026 one nudge at a time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Don\u2019t be fooled by the \u201cDon\u2019t be evil\u201d, \u201cBring the world closer\u201d or \u201cLive in the moment\u201d corporate slogans: what internet giants are doing is basically <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">bring-in the largest amount of users, for the longest period possible, at the most frequent rate<\/strong>. And they\u2019re having a tremendous success at that.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6580\" style=\"width: 663px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1kl8Le9rMeNIHoeE_vulaVQ.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6580\" class=\"wp-image-6580 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1kl8Le9rMeNIHoeE_vulaVQ.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"653\" height=\"469\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6580\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We spend<a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/blog.globalwebindex.net\/chart-of-the-day\/daily-time-spent-on-social-networks\/\"> more than 2 hours per day<\/a> on social networks.<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Why is capturing your attention so important? Because selling eyeballs to advertisers is by far, their main source of revenue:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li>100% for Snapchat (sponsored lenses, geo-filters, stories &amp; discover ads)<\/li>\n<li>98% for Facebook (sidebar ads, sponsored stories &amp; promoted posts)<\/li>\n<li>87% for Google (Adwords &amp; Adsense)<\/li>\n<li>86% for Twitter (promoted tweets, accounts and trends)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">To put it bluntly, the job of internet medias is to sell advertisers \u201cavailable human brain time\u201d. You shouldn\u2019t be surprised that, in 2017, <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">the average internet user spends 15% of his awake life on social networks.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Now that we know why, the question is how: what are the techniques used by advertising giants to keep us coming back for more?<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Hijacking our psychological vulnerabilities<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\u2026 so that we keep fiending for likes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">In recent years, a forgotten psychology school called behaviorism re-emerged as an applied discipline deployed by businesses, governments &amp; social actors. Behaviorism is based on the premise that <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">human behaviour is best understood as a function of incentives and rewards<\/strong>: modify the environment, and you can shape a person\u2019s attitude.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s position-relative marginTopBottom-l breakPointM-marginTopBottom-xl\"><div class=\"blog-quote-before position-absolute bg-marvel\"><\/div><div class=\"tweet-quote blog-quote-after position-absolute bg-marvel cursor-pointer transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-cv-easeOutCircular scaleUp--hover zi-weak\"><svg class=\"fill-white opacity-0 pointerEvents-none position-absolute pinCenter transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 20\"><path d=\"M24,2.37a9.64,9.64,0,0,1-2.83.79A5,5,0,0,0,23.34.37a9.72,9.72,0,0,1-3.13,1.23A4.86,4.86,0,0,0,16.62,0a5,5,0,0,0-4.8,6.2A13.87,13.87,0,0,1,1.67.92,5.13,5.13,0,0,0,3.19,7.67,4.81,4.81,0,0,1,1,7a5,5,0,0,0,3.95,5,4.82,4.82,0,0,1-2.22.09,4.94,4.94,0,0,0,4.6,3.51A9.72,9.72,0,0,1,0,17.73,13.69,13.69,0,0,0,7.55,20c9.14,0,14.31-7.92,14-15A10.17,10.17,0,0,0,24,2.37Z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><p class=\"blog-quote position-relative textAlign-center c-marvel\"><span class=\"blog-quote-text transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\">\u201cUnderstand the box and you understand the behaviour. Design the right box and you can control behaviour.\u201d \u2014 Ian Leslie, journalist &amp; brand strategist.<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Today, \u201cthe box\u201d we spend most of our time in is phones &amp; computers. That\u2019s precisely why all <em>Product Design<\/em> and <em>User Experience<\/em> degrees have some sort of behaviour design course: learn how to exploit a user\u2019s mental biases &amp; inclinations and you\u2019ll directly influence the daily choices he makes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Let\u2019s take a look at some of the techniques they use.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Variable rewards<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\u2026also know as \u201cThe virtual slot machine\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1mDvO7bfc8AhDxdGM9rhviQ.gif\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6580\" src=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1mDvO7bfc8AhDxdGM9rhviQ.gif\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">In 1930, B.F. Skinner, a psychologist at Harvard University placed a rat inside a box. The box had a lever that would, once pressed, make some food drop. After knocking the lever a couple of times by accident, the rat learned: whenever he would be in that box again, he would go straight to the lever and press it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Skinner deduced that this type of environmental conditioning could be applied to anyone, including humans. His device became known as the Skinner box and his theory - that the reward reinforced the behavior - was called behaviorism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Now here comes the interesting part: in further experiments, B.F. Skinner discovered that if the rat got the same reward each time he pulled the lever, he would do it only when he was hungry. BUT, when the received reward is variable (sometimes nothing, sometimes a lot) the rat just keeps pushing the lever all day long. It turns out that <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">making rewards unpredictable is <\/strong><a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Reinforcement\"><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">a very efficient way<\/strong><\/a><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"> to hook people on something<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Have you ever mechanically opened Facebook just to check if you have new notifications? Or frantically refreshed your inbox with the secret hope that a new email will appear? If you did, you experienced first hand the capacity of variable rewards to <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">trigger impulsive behavior<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Casinos know that very well and have <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">massively expanded the space dedicated to slot machines<\/strong>, which are nothing but variable rewards dispensers. The result? Today, slot machines are twice as numerous as ATMs &amp; <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/slot-machines-the-big-gamble-07-01-2011\/\">generate more revenue<\/a> in the US than movies, baseball, and theme parks combined.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><span class=\"long-quote\">\u201cEvery consumer interface is becoming like a slot machine: it\u2019s about looping people into these flows of incentive and\u00a0reward.\u201d \u2014 Natasha Dow Sch\u00fcll, Cultural Anthropologist at\u00a0NYU<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Allowing users to choose the frequency of notifications is a fairly easy feature to implement: why can\u2019t we ask Instagram to show us new notifications only once per day? Or Twitter to batch notifications and nudge us only when 20 of them have stacked? Simply because this goes against<strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"> the economic imperative of<\/strong> <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">maximising time on device<\/strong>: they want us to swipe, scroll and tap everyday, multiple times per day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><center><div id=\"attachment_14691\" style=\"width: 354px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1veJGUwn3RjJ2smEFl0ImEg.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14691\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14691\" src=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1veJGUwn3RjJ2smEFl0ImEg.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"344\" height=\"375\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-14691\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u201cPull to refresh\u2026\u201d &amp; get a dopamine\u00a0shot<\/p><\/div><\/center><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">It turns out the most efficient way to lock people and make them lose their rationale is to dispense random rewards on a variable schedule. Another example of this, is the widespread \u201cpull to refresh\u201d gesture: apps are perfectly capable of continuously updating the content without any user intervention. So why mimic the slot machines\u2019 lever behavior? Because the \u201cpull\u201d action provides an addicting illusion of control that will push you to do it again.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Choice determination<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\u2026 also know as \u201cThe framed will\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s position-relative marginTopBottom-l breakPointM-marginTopBottom-xl\"><div class=\"blog-quote-before position-absolute bg-marvel\"><\/div><div class=\"tweet-quote blog-quote-after position-absolute bg-marvel cursor-pointer transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-cv-easeOutCircular scaleUp--hover zi-weak\"><svg class=\"fill-white opacity-0 pointerEvents-none position-absolute pinCenter transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 20\"><path d=\"M24,2.37a9.64,9.64,0,0,1-2.83.79A5,5,0,0,0,23.34.37a9.72,9.72,0,0,1-3.13,1.23A4.86,4.86,0,0,0,16.62,0a5,5,0,0,0-4.8,6.2A13.87,13.87,0,0,1,1.67.92,5.13,5.13,0,0,0,3.19,7.67,4.81,4.81,0,0,1,1,7a5,5,0,0,0,3.95,5,4.82,4.82,0,0,1-2.22.09,4.94,4.94,0,0,0,4.6,3.51A9.72,9.72,0,0,1,0,17.73,13.69,13.69,0,0,0,7.55,20c9.14,0,14.31-7.92,14-15A10.17,10.17,0,0,0,24,2.37Z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><p class=\"blog-quote position-relative textAlign-center c-marvel\"><span class=\"blog-quote-text transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\">\u201cWhoever controls the menu controls the choices.\u201d - Tristan Harris, former Google Design\u00a0Ethicist<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Technology - by giving us a certain set of choices - conditions our behavior. We\u2019re often lazy and don\u2019t really take the time to think about what is not proposed, what\u2019s outside the menu. Our life-choices are increasingly filtered through a few widespread apps that come with a specific array of options:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li><em>Should I talk to this person?<\/em><br \/>\n<strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Tinder - <\/strong>Yes | No, 100% based on carefully edited photos.<br \/>\n<strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Real life -<\/strong> He\u2019s kinda of cute| Let\u2019s give her a chance | I\u2019ve got nothing to lose | He reminds me of someone | Hell no! | She\u2019s got some charm\u2026<br \/>\n\u2192 An <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">oversimplification of human relationships<\/strong> is induced by the swiping gesture: everything is based on looks &amp; profile crafting.<\/li>\n<li><em>Are there any nice bars here?<\/em><br \/>\n<strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Google maps - <\/strong>63 bars in a 3km range sorted by popularity<br \/>\n<strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Real life - <\/strong>There\u2019s a bar that just opened near the canal| Do you hear the music coming out of that pub? | Let\u2019s walk and see | Look, Jamie is here!<br \/>\n\u2192 The <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">overwhelming amount of possibilities <\/strong>offered by crowdsourced apps leads to distraction, <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2011\/08\/21\/magazine\/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html\">decision fatigue<\/a> and paralysis.<\/li>\n<li><em>What\u2019s happening in the world?<\/em><br \/>\n<strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Twitter - <\/strong>Since your last visit, there\u2019s been 345 new tweets from 67 of the 452 accounts you follow. Here are a few suggestions based on your previous activity &amp; similar accounts.<br \/>\n<strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Real life - <\/strong>I\u2019ll buy a newspaper | Let\u2019s talk about it | Not sure if I wanna know | I\u2019m gonna follow that debate on the radio<br \/>\n\u2192 The<strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"> polarising effect of <\/strong><a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Filter_bubble\"><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">filter bubbles<\/strong><\/a> is dangerous: being totally separated from information that disagrees with your viewpoints is an intellectual dead end. Reality is very often much more nuanced.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Any pollster, restaurateur or marketer knows that options can be designed to influence choices. That\u2019s actually the main purpose of <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/A\/B_testing\">A\/B testing<\/a>: let empirical data teach us how to present information in a way that leads the target to act as we want her to.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li>Want to increase the subscription rate of the team plan?<br \/>\nAdd a \u201cmost popular choice\u201d tag on top of it.<\/li>\n<li>Want to force people to pick choice n\u00b02?<br \/>\nMake choice n\u00b01 &amp; n\u00b03 unreasonable or too extreme.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Today, the \u201coption provider\u201d has far too much power. But awareness is a great beginning: by increasingly <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">paying attention to the possibilities we\u2019re given<\/strong>, we\u2019ll eventually realise that they\u2019re often not aligned with our true needs.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Social approval<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\u2026 also known as \u201cThe love crave\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1h_wL1oFui1mcievpdwolaA.gif\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6580\" src=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1h_wL1oFui1mcievpdwolaA.gif\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Facebook has put a lot of effort into their face recognition algorithms. And <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">the results are impressive<\/strong>: <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"http:\/\/fortune.com\/facebook-machine-learning\/\">apparently<\/a> their models can recognise human faces with 98% accuracy &amp; identify a person in one picture out of 800 million in less than five seconds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">To date, the main outputs of this technology are automatic tag suggestion on uploaded photos (\u201cIs this John?\u201d) and automatic notification of photos where you appear (even if you\u2019re not tagged).<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Why is this relevant? Because social belonging and recognition are among the <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs\">highest human motivations<\/a>\u00a0. By artificially increasing the amount of time my face is tagged on a public space, Facebook relies on a universal human craving to nudge me back into its platform. This combination of machine learning and clever design is made to<strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"> multiply the frequency at which<\/strong> <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">billions of people have their social approval put to a test<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">The same reasoning applies to new profile pictures: because these updates are all about ego-boosting, they will be given special prominence in your friends\u2019 news feed (versus status updates or photo uploads for example).<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">In the end, <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">any<\/strong> <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">signal of increased social vulnerability will purposely reach further and longer<\/strong>. The goal is to trigger a flow of likes &amp; comments that will draw you in with remarkable efficiency\u2026<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Autoplay & infinite scrolls<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\u2026 also know as \u201cThe force-fed treat\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1gdPAB1Ajs3xP5xl8oVwG4Q.gif\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6580\" src=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1gdPAB1Ajs3xP5xl8oVwG4Q.gif\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Today, most of online experience are infinite: Youtube, Netflix or <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@Vimeo\">Vimeo<\/a> keep playing new videos as long as you don\u2019t pro-actively click \u201cstop\u201d; and most social networks open on a never-ending feed of fresh posts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">But this wasn\u2019t always the case. It is just another way to make visitors stick. <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Social &amp; media feeds are engineered to alleviate any reason you might have to leave the website<\/strong>: no action required, no time to reconsider, fresh content systematically pushed in front of your eyes. By shifting the effort from accessing new content to actually stopping the flow, you mechanically <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">push visitors to over-consume<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><span class=\"long-quote\">\u201cChange, comes not from the inside, but the outside. If you want people to lose weight, give them a smaller plate. You have to change the environment.\u201d \u2014 Dan Ariely, Professor of Psychology at Duke University<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">This works in every aspect of life: <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@cornell\">Cornell University<\/a> professor Brian Wansink <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/foodpsychology.cornell.edu\/discoveries\/bottomless-bowls\">demonstrated<\/a> that individuals who ate soup out of self-refilling bowls ingested 73% more calories than those with normal bowls, without feeling any more satiated.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Artificial friction<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\u2026 also known as \u201cThe power of defaults\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1yLKOKgrPmL0MCSXGcZQiKw.gif\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6580\" src=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1yLKOKgrPmL0MCSXGcZQiKw.gif\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Put a ? by default, and less than 10% of users will change\u00a0it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">From a darwinist perspective, our minds have evolved to naturally <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">take as many shortcuts as possible<\/strong> in order to save both mental &amp; physical energy. The direct consequence is that the easiest option is very often what we\u2019ll take.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">In a technological world, the easiest option would be the one where we don\u2019t have to do anything: <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">whatever is framed as \u201cdefault\u201d<\/strong>. On the contrary, if you want to prevent something from happening, just make it difficult!<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">A few examples:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li>Want to increase the amount of subscribers to your newsletter?<br \/>\nAutomatically subscribe users on account creation.<\/li>\n<li>Want to gather analytics on your app\u2019s usage?<br \/>\nMake it an opt-out that is hidden in the settings menu.<\/li>\n<li>Want to reduce churn?<br \/>\nAdd a confirmation step to your cancellation process.<\/li>\n<li>Want to reduce the volume of support requests?<br \/>\nForce users to open your FAQ and if they still insist on talking to someone, ask them to book a chat slot in advance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">This is <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">one of the most powerful design tricks ever<\/strong>: easy to implement and hugely impactful. Do you know why 99.9% of French citizens donate their organs whereas only 4.25% of Danish do the same? In France, the consent for donating your organs is <em>presumed <\/em>(default) whereas it has to be <em>explicit<\/em> in Denmark (opt-in).<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Read receipts, typing & activity indicators<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\u2026 also know as \u201cThe social ambush\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1YCnXvU6ekrCTwtTK6ENPzQ.gif\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6580\" src=\"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1YCnXvU6ekrCTwtTK6ENPzQ.gif\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">WhatsApp\u2019s double blue tick, imessage\u2019s \u201cread\u201d, Facebook\u2019s \u201cseen\u201d: today, most of messaging platforms have read receipts and typing indicators activated by default. This has a triple effect on day to day conversations:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s list list--unordered marginBottom-l lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\n<li><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Increased answer probability.<\/strong><br \/>\nBecause your friend knows precisely if and when you read his message, you\u2019re sort of forced to answer.<\/li>\n<li><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Greater pressure on answer delay<\/strong>.<br \/>\nIn an ever-connected world, a delay in response is usually viewed as rudeness, a brush-off, or the expression of irritation. If you don\u2019t want to feel bad or make people sad, you often have no choice but to answer fast.<\/li>\n<li><strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Increased length of conversations.<br \/>\n<\/strong>Both participants knowing when the other is online makes every answer an inferred commitment for a 5\u201310 minutes dialogue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">That\u2019s precisely why social networks such as Snapchat &amp; Facebook don\u2019t allow you to turn read receipts off: each message becomes a legitimate &amp; recurrent opportunity to suck you back in their never-ending content vortex.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Combined with push-notifications, I feel that read receipts is the design innovation that had the most effect on our generation\u2019s attention span. <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Staying focused while being constantly interrupted by messages that you\u2019re socially committed to answer is a daunting task.<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">If you\u2019re truly about it you put your read receipts on<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">&mdash; Matt Farias (@m_farias9) <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/m_farias9\/status\/966129100493672448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">The debate is real.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">It\u2019s not that you\u2019re not interesting, or that I\u2019m not grateful for your invitation or that your jokes aren\u2019t funny: it\u2019s just that I\u2019m in the middle of a movie or trying to finish a book, or writing an (amazing ?) article.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Being able to regularly<strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"> isolate yourself from the distractions of the world<\/strong> is a precious skill that should be nurtured: I can\u2019t think of any meaningful work I\u2019ve ever produced without multiple, long strings of calm and concentration. Even without any \u201cproductivity\u201d drive, people tend to feel stressed when presented with too many choices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">As chat has replaced email which has replaced postal mail, we\u2019re increasingly shifting from asynchronous conversation to live messaging; and slowly losing our breathing space in the process\u2026<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginTop-xl marginBottom-l c-black lineHeight-xl fontSize-xl fontWeight-5 breakPointM-lineHeight-xxl breakPointM-fontSize-xxl\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">Acknowledge your mind\u2019s weaknesses<\/h2>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">\u2026 and modify your environment accordingly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">I feel that the civil society is increasingly aware of the influence tech products exert on our behavior: initiatives such as <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"http:\/\/humanetech.com\/\">Time Well Spent<\/a> and the <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/www.nationaldayofunplugging.com\/\">National Day of Unplugging<\/a> are doing a great job raising awareness on this topic.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s position-relative marginTopBottom-l breakPointM-marginTopBottom-xl\"><div class=\"blog-quote-before position-absolute bg-marvel\"><\/div><div class=\"tweet-quote blog-quote-after position-absolute bg-marvel cursor-pointer transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-cv-easeOutCircular scaleUp--hover zi-weak\"><svg class=\"fill-white opacity-0 pointerEvents-none position-absolute pinCenter transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 20\"><path d=\"M24,2.37a9.64,9.64,0,0,1-2.83.79A5,5,0,0,0,23.34.37a9.72,9.72,0,0,1-3.13,1.23A4.86,4.86,0,0,0,16.62,0a5,5,0,0,0-4.8,6.2A13.87,13.87,0,0,1,1.67.92,5.13,5.13,0,0,0,3.19,7.67,4.81,4.81,0,0,1,1,7a5,5,0,0,0,3.95,5,4.82,4.82,0,0,1-2.22.09,4.94,4.94,0,0,0,4.6,3.51A9.72,9.72,0,0,1,0,17.73,13.69,13.69,0,0,0,7.55,20c9.14,0,14.31-7.92,14-15A10.17,10.17,0,0,0,24,2.37Z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><p class=\"blog-quote position-relative textAlign-center c-marvel\"><span class=\"blog-quote-text transitionDuration-l transitionProperty-all transitionTimingFunction-easeInOut\">\u201cYou can\u2019t get people to do something they don\u2019t want to do.\" \u2014 B.J. Fogg, director of Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">This is critical: the level of profit and data accumulated by tech giants is unprecedented. As each day passes, they\u2019re getting better and better at analysing our mind\u2019s weaknesses and designing experiences meant to exploit them. Without public awareness and legal regulation, it\u2019ll be increasingly difficult for new generations to exercise their free will, as an ever increasing amount of mental energy will be required to focus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">Next time you unlock your phone, take a step back and ask yourself: <strong class=\"c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-5 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\">am I making a conscious choice?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"pageWrap pageWrap--s marginBottom-m paddingBottom-s c-slate lineHeight-l fontSize-l fontWeight-3 breakPointM-fontSize-xl breakPointM-lineHeight-xl\"><em>This article was originally published on <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\"href=\"https:\/\/hackernoon.com\/attention-hacking-is-the-epidemic-of-our-generation-e212e111c675\">Georges' Medium page<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you look at the performance indicators of the most used apps &amp; websites you\u2019ll systematically see: Daily Active Users How many users interact with your platform everyday? Average Time on Site How long do users stay on your platform? Stickiness or retention ratio How many users return after their first experience? Viral coefficient How many new customers are brought&#8230; <a class=\"link link--blue fontWeight-4\" href=\"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/attention-hacking-epidemic-generation\/\">Read More &#65515;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":218,"featured_media":14703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-viewpoint"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v15.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Don\u2019t be fooled by the \u201cDon\u2019t be evil\u201d or \u201cLive in the moment\u201d slogans: the giants are bringing-in the largest amount of users, for the longest period.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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