These days, we use digital tools to connect with friends and acquaintances, complete our work responsibilities, and engage in the myriad financial and personal activities that make up our daily lives. And for each of these important actions, we rely on the applications installed on our phones, computers, and tablets to make them happen.
However, it’s important to note that apps are not all created equal, and they’re not all designed to help us connect, organize our lives, or work better. Some apps pull us back repeatedly to spend hours using them – sometimes even against our better judgment. In this article, we examine some of the most addictive apps out there, what makes them so gripping, and what we can do about it.
What Makes an App Addictive?
You might assume that the most addictive applications are the ones we use daily: our phones’ calendars, calculators, email, Google Maps, weather apps, etc. However, despite how often we pop them open, these apps are not truly addictive. No one spends 4+ hours a day sitting on the sofa, scrolling through the weather app.
Instead, the most addictive apps are the ones that provide positive feelings that we can’t help but want more of. In that sense, they are not dissimilar to addictions to physical experiences and inputs, such as food, drugs, and alcohol. Studies have shown that the most addictive apps hook people with a four-step process that turns using the app casually into habitual behavior. The four steps can be summed up as trigger, action, variable reward, and investment.
This isn’t to say that addictive apps are necessarily “bad.” Many of the best apps out there are content-rich and genuinely helpful, such as those focusing on fitness or personal finance. Still, even if we like an app and see it as “good” for us, it’s important to recognize when it starts to change our behavior, waste our money, or take up too much of our time.
Which Are the Most Addictive Apps?
Below, we’ve sorted apps into four categories and highlighted the most addictive ones in each category.
1 – Facebook, TikTok, and Other Social Media Apps
Social media apps are practically synonymous with “app addiction.” For over a decade, experts have warned the public about problems arising from too much social media use – yet these apps haven’t gone anywhere.
In recent years, several social media apps have been outed for their aggressive algorithms that push communities and messaging designed to keep people glued to their screens for hours. TikTok has taken the cake thanks to its notoriously addictive algorithm and its popularity among children and teens. Facebook has arguably been an even bigger offender over the years but has managed to dodge regulators to evolve its business model and stay in business.
2 – YouTube (and Other Content Apps)
While social media is addictive because it encourages socializing with like-minded people, content apps are addictive because they provide a constant stream of topical videos to keep users from clicking away.
The YouTube algorithm is particularly famous for “suggesting” just the right videos to keep users glued to the platform longer. This has led to a common phenomenon of people opening the YouTube app to watch just one video – only to look up a while later, realizing that several hours have passed.
3 – Games and Online Casinos
Even before the emergence of browser, mobile, and online games, video games have been panned as addictive and harmful for youngsters. These days, the “addictiveness” of PC and console games seems almost innocent compared to how much time people spend playing mobile and browser games.
While online games don’t have the same quality and depth of storytelling as console games, they stand out for other reasons – as long as users don’t get too sucked in. For example, online casinos such as BetMGM or Betway can give you the full Vegas experience for mobile in just a few minutes a day, at your convenience and without having to go to a physical casino.
4 – Reddit (and Other Forums)
Reddit is a forum-based application that can be considered a type of social media that allows people to focus on their niche interests. Forum apps can be incredibly addictive because they provide this niche social interaction that users lack daily. While forum apps are completely harmless if used in moderation, they can become very addictive.
In Conclusion – What Can We Do About Addictive Apps?
Digital addiction is a growing problem in modern society, and it affects people of all ages and from all walks of life. It can have seriously negative consequences, causing people to become isolated or lose their employment and income. While physical addictions are often treated by completely cutting out the addictive agent from your life, powering through the withdrawal symptoms, and replacing it with something healthier, digital addiction can often be treated more moderately.
For people who are not severely addicted, achieving a more balanced approach to app use can be better than going cold turkey. With reduced use, one can continue to benefit from applications without the poor outcomes. This is often the case with content-rich applications such as TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, online games, and even casino apps. Curating social media feeds, dropping unnecessary subscriptions, unfollowing sources of problematic content, and using a timer to limit app use can all help achieve a more balanced digital exposure.