Mindless scrolling meets Mindfulness
Keeping in mind the nature of this article, it is pithy and no links are inserted to let you down the rabbit hole.
Awareness is the first step in creating change. Companies are realizing that they have created smartphone addicts and are coming up with apps & features to curb addiction. Users are going on a digital detox and are using features & apps to limit their smartphone usage.
Here are few initiatives, small & big. What works and doesn’t work is yet to be seen and debated upon.
Screen Time from Apple
Users can take control of how much time they spend in a particular app or website. The Screen Time App allows users to set a specific amount of time to be in an app, and a notification will display when a time limit is about to expire.
Instagram’s “You’re All-Caught Up” Feature
A message that lets the Instagram user know that they have already scrolled through the content before. A cue to stop passive, mindless scrolling.
“Take a Break” from YouTube
YouTube gives its users the ability to set up time limits. Based on their individual settings, a message will come up to remind users to take a break.
As experience designers, we need to think about the user’s overall experience which goes beyond the app & features that we are designing for. Here are a few questions to get us started on:
How do we design for healthy engagement vs. addictive engagement?
Is it necessary to keep users engaged even after they have finished transacting on the site?
Are we using behavioral psychology & persuasion tactics for the right reasons?
Smartphone addiction data and examples are powerful motivators to craft experiences that take into consideration the well being of ourselves and our fellow human beings.
