Good day there,
Imagine if we could flip a switch and turn our addictions off
Imagine if we could flip a switch and make all distractions leave our mind
What if I told you we are already doing this...
...and many of us have been doing this for years.
Take me for example:
My first addiction: video games of 25 Years+
My second addiction: cannabis of 14 years
The list goes on...
Some would even argue we are addicted to our technologies.
Is addiction evil?
Well let's explore...
Think of all the sources of easy access dopamine available today:
Porn
Social Media
Porn
Video Games
Porn
Junk Food
etc
Distracting is an understatement.
How are we supposed to get anything done around here?
"Self Control" they say...
..."Discipline" perhaps...
...Have you considered "Willpower"?...
Is it really that simple?
*Insert token quote from Jocko Willink or David Goggins here*
Those born into the age of the internet face a whole host of new challenges
A lack of privacy alongside the perpetual imminence of our lives being broadcast to the entire world
Unlimited access to information and an overwhelming number of possible choices every day
Anonymous online avatars evade accountability and discipline despite toxic behaviour
...in fact, if it goes viral, toxic behaviour is often rewarded...
Many of us feel lost.
Many of us are painfully aware of how obvious this is.
We're addicted to our distractions.
We trade our time for instant gratification. Over and over again.
Then we wake up and go for another round the next day.
Nothing prepares us for the technological onslaught that hits us as soon as we get our first device.
Then, we find ourselves in the proverbial candy store of tech enabled modern culture.
Limitless choice with limited direction producing generations of anxiety ridden wanderers and dreamers.
Now who do we blame for this mess?
Is it the parents? Big Tech? Ourselves?
We could blame endlessly, but what's my point here?
My point is there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The forces in play which take our attention, steal our time, and change the direction of our futures...
...Those very same forces we can repurpose to have a positive impact on our lives.
But first, we need to understand what we're up against.
We're addicted.
Fine.
The first step is acknowledging our situation.
So how did it happen, and what is causing it to continue happening?
Well, we just need to take a peak at what drives human motivation.
In fact, there is an entire industry dedicated to leveraging these drives.
They leverage these drives to make you do the things that would otherwise bore you to tears.
Imagine this:
For the next 18-24 hours, you are tapping your fingers, achieving nothing...
You're barely moving at all - besides a rare trip to the bathroom - eating as little as possible, almost no water.
To top it off, you're paying for the privilege - sacrificing your money and time.
To most of us, without context, this sounds like a terrible deal.
Why then, are video games so good at getting us to do exactly this?
The Gaming Industry is forever refining the art of leveraging human motivation.
We deprive ourselves of basic needs for hours on end - even days! - tapping away on our devices, playing video games.
Now, does this make the gaming industry evil?
Samuel L Jackson offers a 30 second analogy to help us answer this question:
- disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Barclays -
In short: If the gaming industry were a chicken, would the chicken be evil?
The gaming industry can offer fantastic insight into what motivates us.
This is the gaming industries greatest service to mankind.
We can use this insight to redirect our own motivations...
...to further our objectives rather than someone else's.
This is Behavioural Design (or Gamification)
We can repurpose this insight and:
Apply it to our personal objectives
Enhance our motivation
Increase our likelihood of success
Drive our commitment and passion
Strengthen our communities
Forge our meaning and purpose
Weaken our bad-habits
The question is how?
It is my mission to shine a light on this...
...To harness behavioural design as a positive force...
...And to make it as simple as possible for anyone to apply behavioural design to their own lives.
