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Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

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Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#21

Post by jonex »

reificator wrote: post #2

> Big Pharma's Plan to Make Prescription Drugs Less Addictive > Local Heroin Dealers' Plan to Make Heroin Less Addictive > Coca Cola's Plan to Make Soda Less Addictive LGTM.

On point 1: That's often one of the big selling points of new (and therefore patented and more expensive) medications. It is much easier to convince doctors to prescribe medications that doesn't risk causing addiction, which in turn means that profits can go up.

If the trend is towards people being more cautious of the addictive properties of tech, being able to offer a less addictive alternative could be a selling point in the future.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#23

Post by svckr »

0xBA5ED wrote: post #7

The first two features are nice, but the cynical side of me thinks this is all about the third feature. They will simultaneously appear concerned and helpful, easing the growing negative sentiment against them while introducing even more pervasive tracking.

I'm surprised your's is the only comment even mentioning tracking…

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#25

Post by WildGreenLeave »

0xBA5ED wrote: post #7

The first two features are nice, but the cynical side of me thinks this is all about the third feature. They will simultaneously appear concerned and helpful, easing the growing negative sentiment against them while introducing even more pervasive tracking.

This was my first thought too.

Don't get me wrong, I truly think Google wants to be the good guy here if possible. But if they can combine that with even more tracking (= more money) they won't hesitate for a second.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#26

Post by speedplane »

Toine wrote: post #24

Goold old "create the problem and the solution"

Not quite, I think the more accurate rephrasing would be maximize profits, maximize profits, maximize profits. That plus a lot of other employee and customer stuff you that wan to keep their jobs.

It's good tech companies are pushing for open access.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#27

Post by sharcerer »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #5

I like all the 3 features mentioned, good they're coming. They really should have been something implementable as an app though. I guess I'll get to test them in 2 or 3 years. (Yeah, this is annoying - Android versions come out really fast, but their support in most phones lags couple of years, even if you just throw away your current one and go buy a flagship.)

Buy an Android One phone. I think some pretty good ones will come within the next 10 months with Android P built in, just like thry had Android O built in. The fragmentation problem is now being solved. Its effects will be visible by 4th quarter of 2020.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#28

Post by obelix_ »

mcintyre1994 wrote: post #16

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 ph…

There was already a campaign - humanetech.com started by no suprise a former Googler a while back.

Through internal studies, they already knew quite a few years ago that Google engineers where as likely as to get addicted and waste time on cat videos, the kardashians and whatever else as much as the people the platforms end up hooking. Those results produced some internal 'what about my kids' outrage.

What they then discovered is deaddicting ppl is much more complicated and takes a whole lot longer than getting them to turn into screen touching addicts. It was so complicated not to mention the opposite of what generated rev that it got quietly shelved and ppl left No big diff between Google and Big Tobacco in this regard.

What you are seeing today is them dusting off the cobwebs on that project as the unintended social and psychological consequences are finally taking a serious unignorable toll.

I don't see Google or Facebook contributing to the solution. They will play the same game Exxon Shell Philip Morris et al play. And that game remains empire defense.

It's up to you to keep your kids safe.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#29

Post by fwdpropaganda »

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…

I disagree. Youtube might thrive on user's addiction. But not Google Search. I know plenty of people who the first step to answer a question is to check out Google Search, but I don't know anyone who's addicted to searching for the sake of searching. Compare that with people who check twitters, facebook or instagram the second they get a bit bored.

Re: Google's Plan to Make Tech Less Addictive

#30

Post by Qwertie »

reificator wrote: post #2

> Big Pharma's Plan to Make Prescription Drugs Less Addictive > Local Heroin Dealers' Plan to Make Heroin Less Addictive > Coca Cola's Plan to Make Soda Less Addictive LGTM.

Most of googles products are not based on addiction. You use google search because you have to find something. You don't spend hours randomly browsing search results. Youtube will take a hit from this but the rest of google is not an addiction business.
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