Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive • Hacker News Board

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#11

Post by psibi » Sun, May 13, 2018, 9:43 AM UTC

dschuetz wrote: post #3

It's clearly a contradiction. Companies like Google thrived on addictive behavior of users online. Now that Google basically is the Internet for consumers they want to crack down on online and tech addiction? Really? What I've read in the article means to me that Google will toss away the responsibility to users by making them aware of their usage patterns. "We told them they need a break from consuming our apps, but…

So what exactly is the solution you want? Do you want google to block the service after a threshold period of time.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#12

Post by mseebach » Sun, May 13, 2018, 9:43 AM UTC

dschuetz wrote: post #3

It's clearly a contradiction. Companies like Google thrived on addictive behavior of users online. Now that Google basically is the Internet for consumers they want to crack down on online and tech addiction? Really? What I've read in the article means to me that Google will toss away the responsibility to users by making them aware of their usage patterns. "We told them they need a break from consuming our apps, but…

It's only a contradiction if you think short term. Long term, it's clearly in Google's interest to engender sustainable consumption. People who are comfortable with the role their smartphones play in their lives are much more valuable consumers than addicts who are apprehensive over it. They are also much less likely to seek radical action which may damage Google in hard to predict ways.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#13

Post by ghostcluster » Sun, May 13, 2018, 9:44 AM UTC

eutectic wrote: post #10

Corporation's are made of people and people don't only have the direct interests of the company in mind. I don't understand the commenters responding negativepy to these proposals; by all means be circumspect, but don't criticize a company for making a positive change just because you think it doesn't go far enough.

I responded with apprehension and gave an example of a similar initiative that Nintendo has already shipped [0], which has been widely mocked, and I explained why these sorts of nagging notifications are a tricky balancing act (the product doesn't know the context of your use, but can only guess, and it is grating when it gets it wrong).

[0] https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/997614-nintendo-3ds/747...

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/does-nintendos-oh-youve-been-...

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#14

Post by sloxy » Sun, May 13, 2018, 9:46 AM UTC

Having better default notifications on Android would be a start. Everything off(bar calls & messages) unless turned on by user.

every app now wants to notify you about everything.. so every phone i get, i need to go in and turn off notifications for everything bar calls & text messages.

Pity they don't sync your preferences when you get a new phone.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#15

Post by agumonkey » Sun, May 13, 2018, 10:03 AM UTC

Interesting to watch tech trying to negative feedback itself :)

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#16

Post by mcintyre1994 » Sun, May 13, 2018, 10:07 AM UTC

My cynical read of this is that it's an attack on Facebook. Google has a giant attention platform in YouTube, but Facebook and Instagram are attention platforms. I think YouTube will decline a bit as a result of this, but the rest of Google - and the data collection of Android are untouched. If people become less addicted to their phones, they're still going to have their phone when they go to restaurants and take photos of things on their phones, they're just not going to post about it on Facebook or Instagram or Snapchat or Twitter. Google will still know everything they do now, they'll still be the default photos experience and search experience and maps experience for Android, you'll just spend less time in attention apps like YouTube and Facebook.

The real genius is that it fits Apple's brand really well, way better than Google's. If they can make this a serious digital wellness campaign, I could easily see Apple joining in. It won't affect their bottom line and it'll make them look good. And with that, both mobile platforms and ~all of Facebook's user base get nudges to become less addicted to and pay less attention to Facebook.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#17

Post by agumonkey » Sun, May 13, 2018, 10:08 AM UTC

dschuetz wrote: post #3

It's clearly a contradiction. Companies like Google thrived on addictive behavior of users online. Now that Google basically is the Internet for consumers they want to crack down on online and tech addiction? Really? What I've read in the article means to me that Google will toss away the responsibility to users by making them aware of their usage patterns. "We told them they need a break from consuming our apps, but…

It's called balance. They made it an official notion and released a few things. It's a tangible effort. I give them a bit (a bit) of trust regarding the wisdom needed to make a good "business".

I don't subscribe to the responsibility shift. Unless they make their notification and metrics bogus, hard to notice etc it's a good measure. And yes, let's make user "responsible" or IMO.. in control. The system informs me, I decide. You see this as a trick to get away with murder, personally I don't.

Also, unless they decide to retire from business I don't see how Google can improve the life of their users.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#18

Post by speedplane » Sun, May 13, 2018, 10:09 AM UTC

dschuetz wrote: post #3

It's clearly a contradiction. Companies like Google thrived on addictive behavior of users online. Now that Google basically is the Internet for consumers they want to crack down on online and tech addiction? Really? What I've read in the article means to me that Google will toss away the responsibility to users by making them aware of their usage patterns. "We told them they need a break from consuming our apps, but…

Google is just optimizing, instead of trying to attract the most eyeballs, they are trying to attract the most eyeballs without you realizing that you are being attracted.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#19

Post by ddtaylor » Sun, May 13, 2018, 10:15 AM UTC

I have a similar feeling about this to how Comcast/Xfinity and Disney promote their services to help reduce screen time for kids. It's hogwash, since they are actively trying everything (including AI) to maximize screen time / watch time and any other metric. Their efforts seem token.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#20

Post by dschuetz » Sun, May 13, 2018, 10:16 AM UTC

eutectic wrote: post #10

Corporation's are made of people and people don't only have the direct interests of the company in mind. I don't understand the commenters responding negativepy to these proposals; by all means be circumspect, but don't criticize a company for making a positive change just because you think it doesn't go far enough.

So, you clearly don't understand the hypocrisy behind Google's efforts? How naive can you possibly be? People at Google are having a job which is essentially having only the interests of the company in mind!

No-no-no, do not try to spin it like that! Corporations are made of jobs. People have obligations working those jobs. Sure, they are people, but only in the sense that they have human rights as well.

What Google is trying to do is not "positive change", it is an effort to make the user responsible for their addictive behavior instead of being responsible selling addictive tech themselves.