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SPRING 2020 HOMESCHOOL IOWA 15
COLORFUL SHINY SCREENS
Colors are carefully selected by developers for their apps. There is
a reason app icons are so attractive and colorful. They act like digi-
tal candy, giving our brains a shiny reward every time we unlock
the screen.
Be the Master: Imagine walking to the kitchen to check on a
beautiful plate of cookies every 15minutes. Howmany times would
you go to the kitchen and not eat a cookie? Not only would you not
be managing your time well, but your will power would be tested
to the max. The same can be said for our colorful shiny screens. Set
your phone to grayscale to remove that positive reinforcement
your brain receives every time you open your device. This is a sim-
ple way to manage technology! Doing so helps many people check
their phone less. Give it a try and see if it works for you.
FOMO
Fear of missing out is a real thing. In fact, the term was added to
the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013. And, a study in 2013 stated:
“FOMO is characterized by the desire to stay continually connected
with what others are doing.”
App developers have used this to encourage users to engage
more with their platforms. We see this in fitness apps like Life-
Sum, where users select a goal. The app then tracks progress and
sends notifications throughout the day on progress, and sends
encouragement to stay on target. You don’t want to miss your
goal. Or miss out on the reward of meeting the goal.
Be the Master: Carefully select apps you use to help you reach
your goals. Focus on one or two goals at a time and decide when
and how it’s best to enter your goals so the notifications serve as
encouraging reminders and don’t interrupt the flow of your day.
VARIABLE RATIO SCHEDULE
This method isn’t new to technology. In fact, it’s been employed
by casinos for years. The concept refers to the randomness at which
a reward is given. It’s exactly how slot machines work. A player pulls
the lever. They immediately see a small reward, a big reward, or no
reward at all, but, the wheel spins showing them the results are
coming. Twitter using this exact methodology. Go to your feed. Pull
down on the to see a result: a few new tweets, a large number of
new tweets, or no new tweets from your friends.
Be the Master: Turn off notifications for the apps you use. You
can do this in your phone’s settings and in the apps’ settings them-
selves, then select a time each day to check your feeds.
IN-APP PURCHASES
Many games offer a free version. Then they use an in-app pur-
chase that allows you to level up or unlock additional features. The
more you play, the more the companies learn about your prefer-
ences. Many games connect to Facebook so they access your
friends list and gather additional data about you.
Be the Master: Be selective about the games you play. It’s bet-
ter to purchase a game from a developer who has a reputation of
protecting their customer data.
SOCIAL RECIPROCITY
You do me a favor, and I’ll do one for you. Our human nature is
to reciprocate. We say “You’re welcome” to a “Thank you.” We ac-
knowledge an email. And, we follow back on social media when
followed. Developers know this. And they’ve skillfully tapped into
our instincts by sending us notifications letting us know someone
has sent us a friend request or liked something we’ve shared. We
immediately feel a social obligation to reciprocate. It’s why teens
launch into SnapStreaks, and why adults feel the need to connect
with suggested new connections on LinkedIn.
Be theMaster: Gut check why you follow someone or like a post.
Is it out of obligation? If so, that like is just cluttering your social me-
dia feed. People and things we follow should offer real value and
enrich our lives.
YOU CAN’T EAT JUST ONE
Some apps give you just a bite, then make you hungry for more.
Chat fiction apps, like Hooked and Hoot, do this. So do many news
organizations. They give readers a small taste of a story, then set a
restriction or payment for immediate access to the full story.
Be the Master: If you want to read the content, pay for it. The
drip method for obtaining the content you want will eat up valu-
able time. You’ll be reading in 5-minute spots here and there
throughout your day.
GAMIFICATION
Gamification isn’t new. In fact, applying game-based activities
to real world applications has been used throughout the course
of history. However, we’ve had a rapid increase in the adoption of
smartphone use and time spent on social media. Society spends
more and more time online, so much so that the boundary be-
tween our online and real life increasingly blurs.
This means gamification for virtually any type of app works, and
works well. We see gamification in map apps like Waze. We see
gamification in apps that help keep us healthy and fit. And we see
some of the most popular dating apps like Tinder and Bumble all
using gamification. Some of the most challenging moments in life
are a game.
Be the Master: Gut check the usefulness of apps that are highly
gamified. Are there other options which accomplish the same job?
If so select these apps instead. Use an app timer to keep track of
howmuch time you are spending on apps that are highly gamified.
Technology should help us be more productive. There is nothing
wrong with an app that is gamified. Master and manage technol-
ogy well by making wise choices about which apps increase your
productivity and which are daily/weekly time wasters.
REPACKAGINGYOUR PREFERENCES
Music and streaming apps know users need to find the app valu-
able; otherwise, they won’t continue using the service. Or develop-
ers strive to move users to the paid subscription. So they carefully
curate content based on what you watch/listen to and create ad-
ditional lists for you. This can be a new“Good Morning”playlist or a
list of sitcoms based off other shows you’ve recently viewed.
Be the Master: Stick with one streaming service for music and
one for television/movies. It will keep your costs down and keep
your recommendations more refined as the service gets more in
tune with your preferences over time.
We’re still learning much about the pitfalls and benefits of tech-
nology. Understanding these tricks and discussing them in our
homes is the first step in helping our kids as they learn to manage
technology. We are the primary role models for our kids. When we
discuss and model how to manage technology wisely, we not only
help ourselves, we build a generation of strong digital citizens.
Leah is a wife and mom of 2 homeschool graduates. She’s a popular speaker who encour-
ages parents to walk with their kids through the world of social media and technology so we
raise a generation of digitally responsible young adults. You can find her eBooks Connected:
Apps All Parents Should Know, Let’s Get Social: A Straightforward Guide for Kids on Social
Media, and Connected: A Parent’s Guide to Snapchat, as well as tips on technology and social
media at