The psychology
behind the pull.
Every term here is backed by the actual research it comes from, not just a dictionary definition. Understanding the mechanism is the first step to blocking it.
The psychology
All terms
Attention ResidueWhy part of your brain stays on the last task after you've switched away.
Brain RotOxford's 2024 Word of the Year, and what the research actually shows.
Compulsion LoopThe game-design origin of the loop apps use to pull you back in.
Context Switching CostWhy shifting between tasks can consume up to 40% of your productive time.
Digital WellbeingUnderstand your relationship with technology, then choose a practical habit to change.
Dopamine LoopThe 1990s discovery that rewrote what dopamine does, and why apps exploit it.
FOMOIts 1996 marketing origin and the study that made it measurable.
Habit LoopCue, craving, routine, reward, and where habits actually live in the brain.
Infinite ScrollIts exact 2006 invention, and the inventor's own 2026 courtroom confession.
JOMOThe joy of missing out, and the validated psychology scale behind it.
NomophobiaThe fear of being without your phone, and the 20-item scale that measures it.
Notification FatigueIts hospital-alarm origin and the 23-minute cost of every refocus.
Phantom Vibration SyndromeWhy up to 89% of users feel a buzz that was never actually there.
Variable Ratio ReinforcementSkinner's pigeons, Vegas slot machines, and how social media uses the same trick.
Zeigarnik EffectThe 1927 waiter study, and the different effect actually behind unread badges.
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