Technology Addiction: The Motivation Bar is Falling
Your Goal: Check email
1995 (desktop)
Trigger: “hrmmm, I wonder if I have new email.”
Steps:
1) Walk to your desktop computer
2) Click on the AOL desktop icon and login
3) *pshhkkkrrrkakingkakingtshchchchchch* *click* Ugh, mom picked up the phone
4) again… *pshhkkkrrrkakingkakingtshchchchchch* wait…
5) “You’ve got mail!” (maybe)
6) Read
2002 (laptop)
Trigger: *ding!* (Gmail notifier alert)
Steps:
1) Grab laptop
2) Launch browser
3) wait…
4) Read
2007 (smartphone)
Trigger: *buuuzzzz* (pocket vibrations)
Steps:
1) Reach into pocket, pull out phone
2) Unlock phone
3) Read
2013? (Apple “watch”)
Trigger: *buuuzzz* (wrist tickle)
Steps:
1) Twist wrist 90 degrees into field of view
2) Read
2013? (Google Glass)
Trigger: Email appears within vision
Steps:
1) Read
As you can see, the time and effort from trigger to action is decreasing. In fact, it’s not just decreasing but integrating.
Ability is one of the strongest components of habit formation, as described by BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model:
This is good but also scary.
As ability increases, so does the likelihood of action (the “activation threshold”) while motivation remains constant. In effect, the “motivation bar” is lowered, encouraging humans to take more action on things we’re less motivated to do. While this can be a good thing (e.g. exercising, eating healthy, calling mom), it also has the power to encourage bad behaviors and habits.
- How often do you check email per day (often) unnecessarily?
- How much time do you spend chasing (mostly pointless) red Facebook notifications?
- How much money have you shamelessly poured into Rage of Bahamut?
Be aware of how you interact with technology and for those of us building products, remember, “with great power comes great responsibility.”