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Show HN: Scream to Unlock – Blocks social media until you scream “I'm a loser”

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Re: Show HN: Scream to Unlock – Blocks social media until you scream “I'm a loser”

#41

Post by ljm »

hodder wrote: post #6
GavCo wrote: post #3

This is cute, but in all seriousness it would be much more effective to shout "I'm a winner" Research: - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3354773/ – Low self-esteem + rejection hurts self-control - https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2007_Power... – Self-criticism predicts less goal progress - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9916102/ – Social exclusion slows inhibitory control - https:/…

But the point is you aren't a winner if you are unlocking social media. You are opening the gate to loserdom. I'm not sure how the I'm a winner concept would apply here using one of the four methods of operant conditioning. The research stands, but the practical application of his app is based on a Positive Punishment operant conditioning.

If you’re addicted to scrolling social media then you’ll just get used to calling yourself a loser to get another fix. Or you just uninstall the extension.

There needs to be a healthier alternative to that replaces the social media habit, that is reinforced by enjoying it. I do this by reading books I wouldn’t normally read, which also gives me a reason to browse indie bookshops.

Re: Show HN: Scream to Unlock – Blocks social media until you scream “I'm a loser”

#42

Post by serial_dev »

wordpad wrote: post #37

So you think screaming 'im a loser' 10 times an hour is going to be good for mental health?

You could also just stop visiting those sites that you previously decided were bad for you... Then you don't need to scream "I'm a loser".

Re: Show HN: Scream to Unlock – Blocks social media until you scream “I'm a loser”

#44

Post by ndarray »

snickerdoodle12 wrote: post #5

Can't you just uninstall the extension?

That's the problem with habit blocking extensions. A theoretical workaround would be to create two extensions - only make them work when both are installed and when one notices that the other got disabled, it does something like deleting your login credentials, or some form of reversible but very annoying punishment.

Re: Show HN: Scream to Unlock – Blocks social media until you scream “I'm a loser”

#45

Post by nh23423fefe »

graemep wrote: post #32
mikesabat wrote: post #12

If you want to make a kids app... Forcing the child to do a number of math problems to continue using the tablet would be an amazing app that I would definitely pay for. My daughter is a second grader. If every 5 minutes of tablet use 'cost' her 5 correct arithmetic answers she would be working at space x right now.

It would work short term, but I would worry that it makes a a price to be paid which will impair joy in learning the subject in the long term. Its much better to make kids interested in learning than to reward reaching goals or punish failing to reach them.

Is it much better if its not possible? You just handwaved away the work involve by assuming you can create "interest". You shifted the goal post away from using arithmetic as a tax on idle iPad use toward "learning."

What about chores? How should I make my children interested in chores outside of a reward or punishment?

Re: Show HN: Scream to Unlock – Blocks social media until you scream “I'm a loser”

#47

Post by packersville »

hodder wrote: post #6
GavCo wrote: post #3

This is cute, but in all seriousness it would be much more effective to shout "I'm a winner" Research: - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3354773/ – Low self-esteem + rejection hurts self-control - https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2007_Power... – Self-criticism predicts less goal progress - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9916102/ – Social exclusion slows inhibitory control - https:/…

But the point is you aren't a winner if you are unlocking social media. You are opening the gate to loserdom. I'm not sure how the I'm a winner concept would apply here using one of the four methods of operant conditioning. The research stands, but the practical application of his app is based on a Positive Punishment operant conditioning.

“Don't speak negatively about yourself, even as a joke. Your body doesn't know the difference. Words are energy and they cast spells, that's why it's called spelling. Change the way you speak about yourself, and you can change your life.”

- Bruce Lee

Re: Show HN: Scream to Unlock – Blocks social media until you scream “I'm a loser”

#48

Post by netsharc »

throwanem wrote: post #43

Now ship something that requires a convincing demonstration of inner peace before allowing the user access to X Dot Com The Everything App, and you'll really be cooking with fire.

Use the front-camera and tell the user to meditate for 30 seconds/algorithmically watch them while they do so.

I guess web browsers don't have integrated face recognition APIs yet, although phones could probably do this

Re: Show HN: Scream to Unlock – Blocks social media until you scream “I'm a loser”

#49

Post by netsharc »

ndarray wrote: post #44
snickerdoodle12 wrote: post #5

Can't you just uninstall the extension?

That's the problem with habit blocking extensions. A theoretical workaround would be to create two extensions - only make them work when both are installed and when one notices that the other got disabled, it does something like deleting your login credentials, or some form of reversible but very annoying punishment.

There's such a URL-blocking extension, that cam be programmed to block the chrome://extensions URL...

Re: Show HN: Scream to Unlock – Blocks social media until you scream “I'm a loser”

#50

Post by haswell »

doublerabbit wrote: post #35
haswell wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In practice, I have never encountered a person who benefits from such negative self beliefs in the long term, or anyone who would claim they were beneficial. My perspective on this is driven by many years of real world experience with addiction and related communities, and more personal exploration of the negative bias than I can quantify. There’s a good reason addiction recovery is now often focused on the underlyin…

Your not wrong, I do agree. But for a pet-project, it's a bit of fun? Or should we just face it. Everyone is a loser for using social media?

This just doesn’t land for me.

Quite a bit of social media use happens for perfectly good reasons. Organizing local events, finding and attending local events, meeting people in other regions who care about a common cause, etc.

What tends to distress people is that social media is also a toxic hellscape that simultaneously stresses them out and addicts them by playing on their evolutionary instincts and needs for social connection while feeding them engagement bait.

And so unplugging is a common topic these days, because people are trying to live better lives.

I get that it’s a pet project, but if this pet project was aimed at alcoholics trying to get sober, I think people would look at it in a different light because people take alcoholism seriously, and reinforcing negative loops that actually perpetuate alcoholism would be justifiably criticized.

I personally don’t think we’re taking social media harms seriously enough collectively, although there are signs that people are catching up. So while I think this project comes from the right place and I’m all for having a bit of fun, I think it’s actually quite problematic in its current state given the issue it attempts to address, and I don’t think the fact that it’s intended to be fun should shield it from the feedback it’s getting.

> Or should we just face it.

The sentence following this is just objectively false to a degree that I don’t even see the humor in it. It’s schoolyard stuff that perpetuates the problem.

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