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I think we should start teaching kids to recognize the myriad ways technology is used to steal the most valuable thing they can have - time. Like when I open N

by yedava 4y ago

I think we should start teaching kids to recognize the myriad ways technology is used to steal the most valuable thing they can have - time. Like when I open Netflix I want to continue watching from where I had stopped, but Netflix keeps jerking around the 'continue watching' section with the hope that something else will catch my attention and I would give my time to them. This kind of bad behavior is just everywhere.

reb 4y ago
Strongly agree. Firms exist to separate users from their money, time, attention, etc. It follows that digital product organizations at nearly all levels are incentivized to thread dark patterns into their experiences, and healthy skepticism/awareness is a must for anyone spending time in these virtual spaces. The internet indisputably made my life better growing up, but I had to learn how to use it (and not the other way around) through trial and error. There's no good reason young people today should have to start that learning journey at zero.
- a1369209993 4y ago
  > There's no good reason young people today should have to start that learning journey at zero. I mean, there clearly is a very strong and unavoidable (you could argue it doesn't count as "good") reason why young people today do have to start that learning journey at zero, namely that human brains generally aren't created already knowing stuff, and have to learn it. But there's no reason to let the early (or non-early) parts of that journey take (or be delayed for) longer than necessary, so that corporations have more opprotunity than is unavoidable to scam, decieve, defraud, and otherwise attack them. (Which is to say I also strongly agree, but don't want to attach that agreement to something with obvious technicalities without comment.)
andsoitis 4y ago
How would Netflix know that you want to continue watching something vs. finding something new? Do you feel similarly about retail stores putting staple items in the back rather near checkout?
- hawski 4y ago
  Consistency is the only thing that matters. You would not be happy if things would shuffle in the retail store every time you go in, would you? Of course, there are things that are shuffled around, but you can always count on fresh-produce, milk, meat and diary to be in the same position for at least months if not years.

by yedava 4y ago

reb 4y ago

Strongly agree. Firms exist to separate users from their money, time, attention, etc. It follows that digital product organizations at nearly all levels are incentivized to thread dark patterns into their experiences, and healthy skepticism/awareness is a must for anyone spending time in these virtual spaces. The internet indisputably made my life better growing up, but I had to learn how to use it (and not the other way around) through trial and error. There's no good reason young people today should have to start that learning journey at zero.

a1369209993 4y ago
> There's no good reason young people today should have to start that learning journey at zero. I mean, there clearly is a very strong and unavoidable (you could argue it doesn't count as "good") reason why young people today do have to start that learning journey at zero, namely that human brains generally aren't created already knowing stuff, and have to learn it. But there's no reason to let the early (or non-early) parts of that journey take (or be delayed for) longer than necessary, so that corporations have more opprotunity than is unavoidable to scam, decieve, defraud, and otherwise attack them. (Which is to say I also strongly agree, but don't want to attach that agreement to something with obvious technicalities without comment.)

andsoitis 4y ago

How would Netflix know that you want to continue watching something vs. finding something new? Do you feel similarly about retail stores putting staple items in the back rather near checkout?

hawski 4y ago
Consistency is the only thing that matters. You would not be happy if things would shuffle in the retail store every time you go in, would you? Of course, there are things that are shuffled around, but you can always count on fresh-produce, milk, meat and diary to be in the same position for at least months if not years.