[ExI] How Technology Hijacks People’s Minds

[BillK]

On 31 May 2016 at 02:48, spike  wrote:
> Odd angle on this: back when Robin Hanson gave us play money ideas futures,
> we had a blast with that.  I had so much fun, won a lot of “money” (almost
> all of it on predicting discovery intervals for Mersenne primes) and we just
> had a rollicking good time.  But when real money ideas futures showed up, I
> was disappointed, for I realized most of the participants would rather play
> real money ideas futures.  To this day, I have refused to play that game.  I
> get little pleasure in winning and none in losing.  None of this is
> explained by BillW’s list: I don’t fear loss, have no religion or
> superstitions, don’t have any security issues, wouldn’t miss a few bucks I
> might lose on PredictIt.
>
> Paradoxically, I loooove competition, even if it causes the loser to be
> disappointed.  Somehow if there is no money involved it just feels OK to me.
> In a car race, every participant pays a ton of money just to play, and only
> one guy gets the checkered flag.  But that Indy500 is nothing but fun to me,
> love it.  I will even play poker, for funsies.  But I don’t like casino
> games.  Seems like a contradiction, ja?
>


Variable reward is only one of the psychological tricks used to
manipulate people using smart devices.
The !0 techniques he explains in the article are:

#1: If You Control the Menu, You Control the Choices

#2: Put a Slot Machine In a Billion Pockets (i.e.VIVR)

#3: Fear of Missing Something Important (FOMSI)

#4: Social Approval

#5: Social Reciprocity (Tit-for-tat)

#6: Bottomless bowls, Infinite Feeds, and Autoplay

#7: Instant Interruption vs. “Respectful” Delivery

#8: Bundling Your Reasons with Their Reasons

#9: Inconvenient Choices

#10: Forecasting Errors, “Foot in the Door” strategies

Summary And How We Can Fix This

Are you upset that technology hijacks your agency? I am too. I’ve
listed a few techniques but there are literally thousands. Imagine
whole bookshelves, seminars, workshops and trainings that teach
aspiring tech entrepreneurs techniques like these. Imagine hundreds of
engineers whose job every day is to invent new ways to keep you
hooked.

The ultimate freedom is a free mind, and we need technology that’s on
our team to help us live, feel, think and act freely.
-----------------


Basically if VIVR doesn't grab you, then one of the many, many other
tricks will.
That's why people become addicted to their smartphone without
realising how their mind has been changed.

BillK