Friction Is a Feature: How the Best Apps Slow You Down
Why One Sec, Opal, and other apps deliberately add friction to break your scroll habits. The counter-trend to frictionless design that's actually working.
8 articles
Why One Sec, Opal, and other apps deliberately add friction to break your scroll habits. The counter-trend to frictionless design that's actually working.
The plain-English breakdown of how TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube decide what you see next—and why their predictions feel so eerily accurate.
YouTube's 2015 autoplay switch and TikTok's endless scroll aren't accidents. Here's the behavioral psychology behind it and how to turn it off.
Aza Raskin created infinite scroll in 2006 and now regrets it. Here's how his invention became the default across every app you use.
Former Google designer turned tech critic Tristan Harris argues your phone addiction isn't a willpower problem—it's a design problem. Here's what he actually means.
Netflix's The Social Dilemma revealed real tech manipulation tactics but exaggerated AI control. Here's what former insiders actually exposed.
The four-step psychology loop that makes Instagram, TikTok, and your favorite apps so addictive. Here's how the Hooked Model works and what you can do about it.
Why willpower won't beat apps designed by teams of neuroscientists. The economic forces that turned your attention into the internet's most valuable commodity.