048 Nir Eyal: Breaking Bad Habits, Technology Addiction, & Emotional Triggers

Mar 22, 2016

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Do you intuitively know that in order for your health to rise to the next level you first must break your bad habits? Today's guest, Nir Eyal, helps companies create behaviors that benefit their users, while educating people on how to build healthy habits in this busy modern world.

Nir Eyal is a best-selling author, speaker, and behavior change jedi-master that is educating people on how to build healthy habits in their own lives.

He writes for TechCrunch, Forbes, Psychology Today, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and Fortune 500 companies.

As the author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products Nir has taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Design School on practical insights to create user habits that stick.

Are You Addicted To Technology?

How do successful companies create products people can’t put down?

Why do some products capture widespread attention while others flop? What makes us engage with certain products out of sheer habit?

Is there a pattern underlying how technologies hook us?

Nir Eyal answers these questions (and many more) by explaining the Hook Model—a four-step process embedded into the products of many successful companies to subtly encourage customer behavior.

Through consecutive “hook cycles,” these products reach their ultimate goal of bringing users back again and again without depending on costly advertising or aggressive messaging.

Why We Do What We Do

With technology growing exponentially, it is no surprise that the waterfall of apps, wearables, and the internet of things have become a double-edged sword in our world.

On one hand, technology has given rise to advances in human connection, expression, and productivity, while on the other, without mindfulness and intention, it can harm the most important thing we have: our health and wellness.

To balance the demands of this attention-grabbing technology while still maintaining our vitality and well-being, Nir's new book profoundly uncovers the how, why, and what makes this addictive technology, well, addictive.

Behavior Change

Nir's blog is about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. He calls it “behavioral design.” The topics at Nir's blog encompass user experience, behavioral economics, and a dash of neuroscience.

Since 2003, Nir has sold two technology companies and now help teams design more engaging products. For most of his career he has worked in the video gaming and advertising industries where he learned, applied (and at times rejected) the techniques used to motivate and manipulate users.

His life's work in behavioral design has flourished from his writing, speaking, and consulting by helping companies create behaviors that benefit their users, while educating people on how to build healthy habits (and breaking bad habits) in this busy modern world.

Links From Today's Show

Nir's Book
Nir's Blog
The Hook Model
7 Cups App
Pantry
Non invasive glucose monitor
"Why Fitness Apps Are making You Fat"
"Addiction By Design" by Natasha Dow Schüll
"Redirect" by Timothy D. Wilson

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