Psychology and Design

You hear a ping, and you immediately reach for your phone. Right? Don’t worry. I do it too. But, have you ever wondered why you react that way? 

Thirteen years ago, our brains did not associate the shrill of a bell with a notification. We were more accustomed to hearing the sound of a modem dialing up or a landline phone. But, as technology evolved, so did our brains. 

Design is the primary culprit of this evolution. Design encompasses everything from how the technology looks to its functionality. To make sure that the technology is successful, many developers have implemented a design thinking approach. Design thinking is a process where the developer seeks to understand the user, challenge assumptions, and redefine problems to find alternatives strategies or solutions. This process aims to understand and empathize with the people who will be using the product or service. Design thinking opens up a doorway to better understanding the psychology of users. 

However, how does it affect us? 

• Notifications

Notifications function similar to the bells in Pavlov’s experiment. They serve as neurological stimuli. Whenever we hear the ping of notification, be it text, email, or social media, our brain releases dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter. It plays a role in behavioral and physical functions such as learning, motivation, and pleasure. 

Though the design feature is helpful in letting us know when something is up, it does create a dependency. These apps, which provide the illusion of security and social interaction, take advantage of our communal needs and exploit them by keeping us dependent. This dependency works on two levels. The first is that we become dependent on social interaction via social media (social interaction), and the second relies on learned behavior (Palov’s experiment). The notification calls your attention to the app, and the illusion that the app provides keeps your attention. The illusion is more dangerous. Every like or thumbs up serves to reinforce your dependency. In the long run, social media addiction leads to stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues. 

If you ever feel like the habit of checking your notifications is getting out of control, set limits. Mute all non- essential notifications. One way to get rid of the dependency is to take a break from social media. Though difficult at first, it will fill you with a sense of relief and peace.  

• Multitasks

Technology is always evolving to become better and faster. It strives to deliver results at an astounding speed. Unfortunately, our human brains cannot keep up. Hence, we have developed the compulsion to multitask. It’s practically second nature to most of us. I often find myself jumping from one task to another. Later on, I realize I was not as productive as I thought I was. 

Most of us are ill-equipped to handle multiple tasks at once. Scientists estimate that only 2.5% of the population has this ability. What we think is multitasking is switching from one source of information to another. Because we spend so little time focused on one piece of information, we retain much less.  

• Connections

As a child of the late 1990s, I feel incredibly lucky. I was lived through the cusp of the after –the before YouTube, iPods, and high-speed internet. The sound of AOLs dial-up internet is still engraved in my brain. If your friend moved neighborhoods or states, you had to use the mail. Now, we can chat with people half way around the world (taking into account time differences, of course). We have all these tools to bring us together. 

So, why is that we feel so lonely?

In 2016, The New York Times surveyed a group of students to hear their thoughts on phones and social interaction. Though some presented compelling arguments for both sides, most students felt that social media was indeed isolating them. They remarked how most people spend their time on their phones, barely acknowledging the other person across from them. 

We’ve become a generation that carries out our lives through our phones. We’ve all become accustomed to a little dose of escapism, and I’m not accusing or calling anyone out because I do it too. But, I’ve also been on the receiving end. It does not feel great. 

One way to avoid isolating yourself and potentially hurting someone is by committing to not look at your phone during social interaction.  

• Artificial Intelligence

No, this last point is not about AI or machine learning. Instead, it is about Google. 

Have you ever written down a word and then doubted yourself, so you Googled it? It doesn’t have to be a word. It could have happened with any piece of information you already know, but doubted yourself and chose Google instead. 

The doubt does not stem from not knowing, but rather from not remembering. Our brains store information hierarchically. Meaning, the most crucial information is easiest to remember. The rest gets filed away somewhere in the stacks of our memory. The problem is that we don’t even try to recall it because Google is faster. It was designed that way. 

Though you may never surpass Google’s computing abilities, you can try to improve your memory by doing crosswords, eating well, and getting good sleep. 

Despite my berating, I think technology is an incredible tool. We can do things we have never imagined. However, I feel like we have been more cognizant about how we are creating and using technology and for purpose. 

Sources:

A. (2017, February 3). 4 Ways Technology is Changing Consumer Behavior. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.alida.com/the-alida-journal/4-examples-how-technology-changing-consumer-behavior

Brueck, H. (2019, March 01). This is what your smartphone is doing to your brain – and it isn’t good. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.businessinsider.com/what-your-smartphone-is-doing-to-your-brain-and-it-isnt-good-2018-3

Chowty, A. (2019, January 24). Know the behavioral psychology principles behind designs? Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://medium.com/nyc-design/know-the-behavioral-psychology-principles-behind-designs-c947dab0633a

McMahan, D. (2018, August 01). I stopped Googling everything, and this is what happened to my brain. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/i-stopped-googling-everything-what-happened-my-brain-ncna786851

Steber, C. (2019, May 16). 9 Shocking Things That Happen To Your Brain When You Get A Phone Or Email Notification. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.bustle.com/p/9-shocking-things-that-happen-to-your-brain-when-you-get-a-phone-email-notification-17869135

Yar, S. (2019, April 25). Using Your Phone Can Trigger Stress Hormones & Have Long-Term Health Impacts, Research Suggests. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.bustle.com/p/using-your-phone-can-trigger-stress-hormones-have-long-term-health-impacts-research-suggests-17143674