Delving into the Principles of Manipulation
Okay, so here's the deal - in the world of websites and apps, our main goal is to get people to keep coming back for more. We create stuff that makes them want to keep using it over and over again. We might not say it out loud, but deep down, we hope that everyone who tries our product gets obsessed with it.
People are always glued to their phones, even when they're supposed to be sleeping. They wake up and immediately start scrolling through notifications and social media before even saying hi to their family. Ian, a famous game maker and teacher, compares these addictive technologies to cigarettes and warns about the harmful effects they can have on us.
When does manipulation become unethical?
Manipulation is when someone tries to make you do something you wouldn't normally do. It can feel weird and uncomfortable, like when a salesperson at a car dealership tries to pressure you into buying a car or when an app asks for your contacts. It's like someone is trying to control you and make you do things their way.
Manipulation isn't always a bad thing. Just look at all the big companies making billions of dollars by getting people to do what they want. Weight Watchers is a perfect example of this. They've been able to change people's behavior and make a ton of money doing it.
Weight Watchers is kind of like those websites that try to get you to buy stuff by showing you ads all the time. But instead of trying to sell you things, Weight Watchers is trying to help you eat healthier. Some people think it's weird that Weight Watchers tells you what to eat, but they don't think it's bad. But why is it okay for Weight Watchers to tell you what to eat, but not okay for other companies to try to get you to buy things with ads or games?
An Increasingly Habit-Driven Society
It's like our sense of right and wrong hasn't kept up with all the cool stuff technology can do now. We can go online all the time, sharing lots of personal info super fast. This makes it easy to get hooked on things. We need time to learn how to deal with these new addictions. Graham says it's up to us to be smart about what we use and how we use it. Otherwise, we'll end up being the cautionary tale for future generations.
Have you ever thought about the people who create those sneaky apps and games that make you want to keep playing all day long? The companies behind these addictive technologies are run by real people who know the difference between right and wrong. Just like us, they have families and kids who can get hooked on these games too. So, what do we, as the creators of these apps and games, need to do to make sure we're not hurting our users, future generations, or ourselves?
The Manipulation Matrix
Hey guys! There is a cool tool to help you make decisions if you want to start a business, work for a company, or invest in something. You can use it before you even start making a product or writing any code. It's called the Manipulation Matrix. It won't tell you which businesses are good or bad, or which ones will be successful. It also won't tell you what kind of technology can get people addicted. Instead, it helps you figure out if you should try to get people hooked on your product, not just if you can. Cool, right?
If you want to make something cool, you gotta think about two things. First, ask yourself, "Am I gonna use this thing?" And second, think about whether it's gonna make people's lives better.
The Guide
When you make something that you think will help people and make their lives better, you're encouraging a good habit. Remember, it's up to you to decide if you would use the service and if it does make a big difference in someone's life.
If you're feeling uncomfortable asking yourself those questions or if you have to start by saying, "If I were a...," then you're doing it wrong. You need to genuinely want to use the product and believe it will make your life better, as well as the lives of others. The only exception is if you would have used the product when you were younger. For example, if you're creating something for education, you might not need it now, but you know you would have used it in the past. Just remember, the further you are from your younger self, the less likely you are to succeed.
I may not be best buds with Mark Zuckerberg or the Twitter guys, but from what I've read about them, it seems like they would consider themselves as making stuff in this cool category. Lots of companies are out there making things to help people be healthier and happier. They're all about getting folks to move more, write in a journal, or sit up straight. These companies are started by real go-getters who believe in what they're doing and want to help others too.
What happens when you like something, but then you start using it too much and it starts causing problems? Well, in cases like that, I think it's up to the person using the product to take responsibility. There will always be a few people who take things to the extreme. If the people who make the product think it's good and they would use it themselves, then they've done their part. They're like the ones who make the world a better place, just like Mahatma Gandhi said.
The Merchant
Sometimes people have big ideas to help others, but they don't always think about how it will work. Some tech designers want to make things better for people, but they don't always think about if they would use it themselves. They try to make boring tasks more fun by adding things like badges or points, but it doesn't always make a difference for the person using it.
There are a lot of things out there that try to make boring stuff seem fun, like fitness apps and charity websites. But sometimes, companies try too hard to make their ads cool and end up missing the mark. They think everyone will love their ads and use their apps all the time. But they forget to ask themselves, "Would I use this?" Usually, the answer is no. So, they try to think like someone who might like the ad, even though it's not really that great.
Making something that truly helps people is hard. And if you're trying to make a cool new technology that you wouldn't even want to use yourself, it's pretty much impossible. It's not necessarily bad to try and sell something, but the chances of it working out are pretty low. You need to understand what people want and need to create something that they'll like. If you're just trying to sell something that you wouldn't even use, it's probably not going to be very useful or fun for anyone else either. If it was, you'd probably be using it yourself instead of trying to sell it to others.
The Performer
Sometimes, creators just want to have a good time. If someone invents something that could be addicting but doesn't make people's lives better, they're just making something for fun.
Having fun is like creating a masterpiece! It makes us happy, gives us new perspectives, and helps us understand people better. These are all super cool things that have been around forever. But when it comes to making money, working, or investing, it's important to know how entertainment can influence us in different ways. So, let's talk about how entertainment can impact our decisions using the Manipulation Matrix.
Art, like songs and games, doesn't stick around for long. Once we find something new to obsess over, the old stuff gets forgotten. Just like how a catchy song becomes a memory once a new one comes out. Even this blog post will be old news soon enough. Games like Farmville and Angry Birds are fun for a bit, but then we move on to the next big thing. It's like how Pac-Man and Tetris used to be popular, but now they're just old games collecting dust.
In the world of entertainment, it's all about what's popular at the moment. Our brains get used to things quickly, so artists have to keep coming up with new and exciting stuff to keep us interested. It's like a never-ending race to keep up with what people want. And in this race, the key to success isn't just the game, the song, or the book itself—it's how you get it out to people while they're still excited about it.
The Distributor
Making something that the creator doesn't think will make people's lives better and that they wouldn't even use themselves is taking advantage of others. If the only reason you're trying to get people to use your product is to make money, that's not cool. Some people make a lot of money by getting others hooked on things that just make them spend more money, and where there's money to be made, there will always be someone trying to get it.
Have you ever thought about whether you could be the person who gets addicted to gambling or drugs? At first, going to casinos or hanging out with drug dealers might seem like a fun time. But once you start getting hooked, the fun disappears.
Ian made a funny game called Cow Clicker as a joke about Farmville. In Cow Clicker, all you had to do was click on virtual cows to hear them moo. Ian wanted to make fun of Farmville by making a game that was super simple and silly. But then, lots of people started playing Cow Clicker and some got really into it. It got so popular that Ian had to shut it down, calling it "The Cowpocalypse."
Trust your Judgment
Ian kinda got it right when he said technology is like cigarettes, but not completely. Back in the day, everyone used to smoke all the time, but now we're always on our phones instead. The difference is, that technology can make our lives better in a lot of ways. New web stuff can be good or bad, just like any other technology.
If the person who made something new knows deep down that it's making people's lives better, especially their own lives, then they should keep going. It's up to the people using the product to be responsible for how they use it, not the person who made it.
With all the cool new gadgets and apps coming out, it's important for the people making them to think about how they might affect us. It could take a long time before we figure out all the ways these things could be harmful. So, for now, it's up to us to decide if we want to use them or not. And the people who make them will have to think about the impact of their work on society.
I hope that the Manipulation Matrix can make people who come up with cool ideas think about how their products might affect the world. Maybe after reading this, you'll want to start your own company. Or maybe you'll want to work for a company that has a mission you care about. Or maybe you'll realize that your current job doesn't match up with your values and decide it's time to move on.
