The Attention Loop

How Apps Are Designed to Keep You Hooked

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1. Trigger

A cue that prompts you to act. It's often external and visual.

Examples: A red notification bubble, a 'ping' sound, seeing the app icon.

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2. Action

The simple action you take in response to the trigger.

Examples: Opening the app, scrolling the feed, tapping a photo.

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3. Reward

The brain gets a hit of dopamine. The reward is unpredictable, which makes it powerful.

Examples: A 'like', a funny video, a nice message... or nothing at all.

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