Tristan Harris (2016) has described 10 ways the websites and applications used to hijack users’ time. Nowadays, we all know we spent too much time on smartphones, tablets and PCs and we are nervous about this behavior. But we should know that not only whether we are self-principled or not, but also designing of the process takes advantages of vulnerabilities of our mind.
First hijack is that technology changed our true needs of using applications or websites instead of replacing them with other potions. For example, a menu seems to empower us but actually to control our choices in the given scope.
Like the other traps and ways of hijack, they are all utilized psychological vulnerabilities (consciously and unconsciously) to increase time spending from users. One of them is intermittent variable reward in slot machines. People are easily addicted to variable rewards when they are checking mailbox or notifications from applications that could be seen as pulling a lever in a slot machine. As soon as people click the button, they can get a message or a match that namely are rewards. Harris (2016) found, “Addictiveness are maximized when the rate of rewards are most variable”. Also Harris (2016) mentioned that big companies have responsibility to design better products and to avoid addictive effect of intermittent variable rewards.
One more important hijack is that instant interruptions from social communication tools that affect the recipient’s attention instead of delivery in a message box with respect to the user’s attention. According to Gloria Mark, professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, an interrupted work takes us average 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task (Mark, 2008). Therefore, either for the organization or for the typical officer, unnecessary interruptions would affect efficiency of work. Keeping attention is worth to be stressed in the design of applications and devices. Check this article from Tristan and see more interesting facts about addictiveness into technology. It probably can inspire you more about how to improve design of technology products and avoid time wasting on your devices. In addition, if you intend to spend time well and let technology really serve your needs, there is a website for you: www.timewellspent.io.
Mark, G. (2008). Worker, Interrupted: The Cost of Task Switching | Fast Company. Fast Company. Retrieved 23 October 2017, from https://www.fastcompany.com/944128/worker-interrupted-cost-task-switching
Harris, T. (2016). How Technology is Hijacking Your Mind — from a Former Insider. Thrive Global. Retrieved 23 October 2017, from https://journal.thriveglobal.com/how-technology-hijacks-peoples-minds-from-a-magician-and-google-s-design-ethicist-56d62ef5edf3
