Top Survival Skill in The Early 21st Century
In developed countries the top survival skill in the early 21st century looks to be the ability to self-regulate or control your own behaviors, appetites and emotions. The simple form of this argument points to otherwise avoidable health risks being the number one cause of death. Lifestyle choices (eating, exercise, drugs, stress, etc.) leading to chronic conditions and eventual death.
In a recent New York Times article Dysregulation Nation, Judith Warner, chronicles the details:
“Now there is a case to be made that problems of self-regulation — of appetite, emotion, impulse and cupidity — may well be the defining social pathology of our time.”
“Eating disorders, “in general a disorder of self-regulation,” according to Darlene M. Atkins, director of the Eating Disorders Clinic at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, grew epidemic in the past few decades, and in recent years have spread to minority communities, younger girls, older women and boys and men too.”
“We read about dopamine fiends sitting enslaved to their screens, their brains hooked on the bursts of pleasure they receive from the ding of each new e-mail message or the arousing flash of a tweet. “
“Mental-health professionals report seeing increasing numbers of kids who are all out of sync: they can’t sustain attention, regulate their rage, moderate their pain, tolerate normal types of sensory input.”
“The signs that something is amiss in our inner mechanisms of control and restraint are everywhere. “
As dark as this seems I firmly believe we can design our way out of it.What is amiss is that some products, services and experiences have been designed so effectively that they overwhelm our capacity for self control. Over consumption, harmful use and addiction of many forms run wild. There is nothing diabolical going on here. Most of these highly effective designs were created by years of tweaking or accidental discovery that are poorly understood. We are still trying to figure out the specifics of why video games are so addictive and if they are good or bad for us.
Irresistible artifacts (anything that overwhelms self control) are for the most part things that can be bad for us – credit cards, big macs, online gambling, etc. They tap deep psychological needs and deliver immediate neural chemical rewards.
At the very least, what we need is to make those products, services and experiences that are intended to be good for us a bit more irresistible. Some believe such designs are impossible. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. So I can’t enjoy eating healthy. I cannot be entertained while I learn. I must stop spending to save. I cannot do good while making money. This blog is filled with counter examples to such thinking.
Win Points, Unlock Levels, Buy Items, Get Well!
Medication Caps Reminds, Refills and Encourages
Designs that make self-regulation easy not hard are desperately needed. Products and services that make self-regulation fun, exciting and otherwise pleasurable should be a block buster. Can I make acts of self regulation as compelling as a video game, lottery ticket or piece of chocolate cake? If I can’t, why would I expect people, on average to engage in self regulatory acts when the alternatives are so plentiful?
Self regulation is the top survival skill for the early 21st century. As individuals we must control our behaviors and appetites to stay clear, healthy and safe. As designer we need to envision and deliver solutions that make acts of self regulation as irresistible as chocolate cake.
July 2nd, 2010 at 7:31 am
Great post! Thank you!
I have been thinking about ‘self-regulation’ a lot lately, because I am conducting an ethnographic study of active professional social networkers. Many of those who are at ease with their networking have developed complex tactics to unplug/keep their behavior in check.
A while back I brought up designing for well-being at a sustainable design gathering and asked- could designing ‘non-use time’ of a software or service be just as important as use-time? I have a feeling this topic will become increasingly pertinent.