Got sent a video recently on how we need to get away from our phones. And got reminded of the frequent patterns that come up with the attention economy critique. These almost-PSAs are problematic for one major reason. Instead of telling people why the smartphone attention economy is designed the way it is, and what makes it addictive and what are its consequences (much like what the anti-nicotine ads have done); these videos focus on targeting the person using it. All the blame is put on the user. It's their fault that they're on the phones. It's their fault they're being driven to slot machines.
This is unfair. Most consumer Smartphone apps are "designed" to keep people hooked on to the app. Using deceptive patterns and habit loops to carrot and stick the user into staying hooked to the apps is somehow not a problem worth addressing but somehow people falling for it, is. It's a classic case of victim blaming.
Most screen time software is also designed on the same pattern of negative enforcement. Punishing the user with screen time limits vs actually encouraging healthier habits. There are three ways to solve an addiction. Take away what someone is addicted to; replace it with a less harmful addiction; encourage healthier habits and strive for long term lifestyle changes. Somehow design solutions for smartphone addiction are restricted to the former two, and not on the latter part of encouraging healthier habits which is shame, because it's the only type of solution genuinely treating people with respect rather than deriding them for their choices or habits.
Why do I care? I wrote an entire thesis trying to solve the problem using the "encourage healthier habits for long term lifestyle changes".
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