Google Deck on Digital Wellbeing 'A Call to Minimize Distraction and Respect Users' Attention'

The original 2013 Google Deck that evolved into Google's Digital Wellbeing initiative in 2018 (including Android 9 (Pie)) by Tristan Harris - who went on to lead humanetech.com.
Great technology should improve life, not distract from it

1. A Call to Minimize Distraction
Google & Respect Users’ Attention

By aconcerned PM & entrepreneur

go/distraction

2. Google

I'm concerned about how we're
making the world more distracted

3. Google

And my goal with this presentation
is to create a movement at Google...

4. Google

... to create a new design ethic that
aims to minimize distraction

5. Google

and I'd like to
get your help.

6. Distraction matters
to me beca

7. ... time is expanded and contracted when

we're in flow vs. distracted.

8. Google

You've experienced
this before...

9. single day traveling in a
remote country, than in
months of your work li

11. Hiking Fan

Gmail severe Ee

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Stared x
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Drafts (2) D JSBach (3) Tonhalle concert Friday - Hey man, theru's a great concert this Friday evenis Jun 22
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ea ¿8 Kenneth, me (2) ® Group dinner? - Sushi sounds great! On Fr, Mar 25, 2011 at 10:06 AM, Ken Mar 25
vie BE Kenneth, me (2) > Long time! - Hoy Kon! Things have been really good! And lunch sounds gros Mar 26
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12. Facebook

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Search for people, places and things

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weakening our re re tionships to
each other here

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amd destroying our kids'
ability to. focus here

(teens 13-17 now send 4,000 texts/month,
once every 6 minutes awake)

16. Google

Technology companies
profoundly influence where
all this attention goes...

17. In fact... 3
|

* AE TA

«

18. Google

Never before in history...

19. Google

...have the decisions of a handful of designers...

20. Google

(mostly men, white, living in SF, aged 25-35)

21. Google

... working at 3 companies ...

Google &

22. Google

had

23. Google

SO

24. Google

much

28. Google

We should feel...

31. Google

The Washington Post

IntheNews MichelleObama Inaugural balls Beyoncelipsyne Sean Payton Texas shooting

washingtonpost.com > Metro

28 percent of accidents involve talking, texting on cellphones

By Ashley Halsey Ill
Washington Post Staff Writer bp Network News PROFILE
Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Twenty-cight percent of traffic accidents occur when
people talk on cellphones or send text messages
while driving, according to a study released Tuesday

by the National Safety Council.

THIS STORY
+ Moro drivers texting on Beltway, study

32. Google

We need to be more rigorous
about these questions than...

33. “Why don't we make it buzz your
phone every time you get an email?”

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34. Google

Now, you might be saying...

35. Google

Wait a sec, don't users make
their own choices here?

36. Google

Not always...

37. Google

1. We need to acknowledge that humans
have certain vulnerabilities...

38. 2. Those vulnerabilities can be
amplified and exploited...

39. oogle

3. ... and the design of products we make can do

40. Google

Every day, those vulnerabilities make us
act against our better judgement...

41. Google

Vulnerability #1: Bad Forecasting
(aka “That won't take long”)

42. Google

Marc Haumann tagged a photo of you.

Go to Notifications

Googie Confidential and Propriatary

43. Google

what question are we
really being asked?

44. Google

Marc Haumann tagged a photo of you.

Go to Notifications

“Want to see this photo of you?”

45. Google

or more like...

46. Google

facebook
Na Marc Haumann tagged a photo of you.

Spend next 20 minutes on FB Don't click me

“Do you want to interrupt what you're doing
and spend next 20 minutes on Facebook?”

47. Google

Post To Your Wall

Falcons TV | Top Combine Performances
http://atlantafalcons.com/falconstv

The NFL Network crew counts down their 10 best
performances from the prospects at the 2012 NFL
Scouting Combine in indianapolis

8 via Fatcons TV

“Share this article?”

Googie Confidential and Propriatary

48. Google

Post To Your Wall

Falcons TV | Top Combine Performances
http://atlantafalcons.com/falconstv
The NFL Network crew counts down their 10 best

performances from the prospects at the 2012 NFL
Scouting Combine in indianapolis

[8] via Falcons TV

Make 26 friends spend 10 minutes

“Make ~26 friends spend 10 minutes
reading this?”

Googie Confidential and Propriatary

49. Google

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à Mol ecm o E

Karen Thompson Walker:

What fear can teach us Watc h a
eye related
video?

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tempo

Boirut Nantes (from the
Flying Club Cup)

50. Google

U 9 -=
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Don't sleep til 2am -@—

Curte Inde, folk?
Cique!

a

un Don't sleep til am a —
or...
Feel sick tomorrow _ |
morning <
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= "4 Wake up feeling
A Sais
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all night watching mt
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51. Instead, what if we designed
products to help users forecast the
consequences of certain actions?

52. Google

Vulnerability #2:
Intermittent variable rewards
(aka Slot Machines)

53. u « BG

WA “ . —
ittent,(vs. predictable) rewards are the
addictive, and hardest to stop

| E
\ |

54. Google

are we deciding to pull for new email?

Angelo, Ryan, Manas

Edit Task on mobile
Xander, rproch

55. Google

... or do we do it to feel the intermittent rewards?

Home Q

Pull for Nothing New
= (You just checked 45 seconds ago- srsly?)

56. Google

... are we swiping
two fingers to scroll?

‘Googie Confidential and Propriotary

57. Google

e090
4) > | (0) [12] [E www.tacebook.com

... or playing the
slotmachines

infinite feeds to see
what we'll get?

58. Google Fee
3 en

Pinterest

e..
4) > | (0) [12] [El www.tacebook.com
earch for peo}

. or playing the
slotmachines
infinite feeds to see
what we'll get?

59. Google

... or playing the
slotmachines
infinite feeds to see
what we'll get?

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62. Google

Instead, what if we designed to
minimize the presence of
intermittent variable rewards, and
reduce addictions?

63. Google

Vulnerability #3: Loss-Aversion
(aka Fear of Missing Out)

64. Google

Suppose we actually
wanted to stop checking
all this stuff...

65. Loss-aversion won't let us,
because we'd be of missing
something important

66. Google

so we're forced to live as if every
message could be this...

67. Google

nl ATET >

11:46

Sunday, January 22

% =)

Jack Swan

@ Hey, nuclear bomb just exploded
over your house. You may need...

68. Google

instead of this...

69. Google

il ATET > % =>

11:46 :

Sunday, January 22

Jack Swan

@ check out this kitten on
rollerblades! LOL

71. Google

Instead, what if we designed to
give users confidence that they
could disconnect more often, and
not miss something important?

72. Google

Vulnerability #4:
Fast vs. Slow Thinking
(aka Mindful vs. Mindless behavior)

73. Google

Humans make different decisions
when we pause and consider,
vs. when we react immediately.

74. hen access to the next hit i is
too frictionless, we /ose the ability
to consider before acting...

75. Google

When scrolling is
frictionless, we don't
think before we flick to
see what's next...

76. Google

or when it's

so frictionless,
we don't think
before we grab our
phone after it
buzzes

77. ..or SO Fidtionics. Wed don't think before
getting a snack after an urge.

78. Google

When we lose that moment to consider
before acting on our impulses...

80. Google

Instead, what if we designed to help
users be fast and efficient, while
leaving enough friction for users to
pause and consider?

81. ...just like Google
makes unhealthy food

inside jars and slightly
out of sight

82. Google

(in other words, behind a speed bump)

83. Google

Vulnerability #5:
Stress & Altered States

(aka “I'm not in the best state of mind to decide...”)

84. Google

It's not just how technology changes
what we do...

85. Google

It's also how it changes
our physiological state...

86. Google

| We actually
stop breathing when
we read our email...

(an effect known as “email apnea”)

87. «OUP
sympathetic
nervous system
is activated

88. Google

...causing our liver
to dump glucose
and cholesterol
into our blood...

89. Ñ
...our heart rate increases...

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>

90. ...and our body prepares for a
fight or flight response

91. Gmail Calendar Documents Photos Reader Web more Hiking Fan = X
Gmail ES ecos pe

Archive Reportspam Delete HD) Movetor Labeisr Morey CG 1-150f15 4 >

FO Jason Cornwell > Please return my stapler - Hi, You seem to have taken my stapler. Please 4:10 pm
o Paul McDonald > Fun Hike Yesterday! - Thanks for the great hike yesterday, it was awesom 1:06 pm
Starred f
Ss orion Reinstein > July 4th weekend - Hi there: | heard you be around this weekend and dk Jun 28
Drafts (2) Y JS Bach >) Tonhalle concert Friday - Hey man, there's a great concert this Friday evenit Jun 22
* Hiking (3) .f Christine Chiu > Hi Hiking, Looking for opinion on my dielfitness app - Hi Hiking, | bumped ir Jun9
Urgent!
PER o Yan Tseytlin (2), D > Hey there! - | heard you found a great place to go hiking. Let me know when Mar 28
cat f- :0 Kenneth, me (2) $ Group dinner? - Sushi sounds great! On Fr, Mar 25, 2011 at 10:08 AM, Ken Mar25
D Kenneth, me (2) > Long time! - Hoy Ken! Things have been really good And lunch sounds gree Mar24
im Hiking Ef
‘stom hem v0 Michael Bolognino This weekend -Hi thor. Lot's meet up at BPM tonight for burgers and than? Mar24
Cal phone Q Arielle Reinstein 3) dpsea tral - When it stops raining | rally want to hike the Dipsea Trail agait Mar 24

And all that happens between when

we read our 1st email...

92. Gmail Calendar Documents Photos Reader Web more Hiking Fan~ HE
Gmail secre | oe

Arche Reportspam Delete @ © Movetor Labeisr Morey CG 1-150f15 4 >

FO Jason Cornwell > Please return my stapler - Hi, You seem to have taken my stapler. Please, 4:10 pm
a Paul McDonald > Fun Hike Yesterday! - Thanks for the great hike yestorday, lt was awesom 1:06 pm
Starred
_ © Arielle Reinstein » July 4th weekend «Hi here: | heard you bo around this weekend and die Jun 28
Drafts (2) Oft JSBach 3) Tonhalle concert Friday - Hey man, there's a great concert his Friday event Jun 22
* Hiking (3) Bo Christine Chiu > Hi Hiking, Looking for opinion on my dielfitness app - Hi Hiking, | bumped ir Jun9
Urgent!
indé Oe Yan Tseytin (2), D > Hey there! -| heard you found a great place to go hiking. Let me know when Mar28
zu == ¿0 Kenneth, me (2) ® Group dinner? - Sushi sounds grat! On Fr, Mar 25, 2011 at 10:05 AM, Ken Mar25
D Kenneth, me (2) > Long time! - Hoy Ken! Things have been really good And lunch sounds gree Mar24
me Hiking Fan
a RO mor 3) This weekend -Hi there. Lots meet up at 8PM tonight for burgers and then? Mar24
A Call phone

(a) Arielle Reinstein 2 dipsea trail - When it stops raining | really want to hike the Dipsea Trail agait Mar 24

93. And when we're stressed or distracted = =

we're more likely to succumb to
immediate urges.

iii AA am > indie

94. Google

Do we really know what we're
doing to people?

95. Google

Instead, what if we designed to
minimize stress and create
calmer states of mind?

96. Google

The problem is...

98. alll AT&T 3G

8:13

Saturday, December 17

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100. Google

So...

101. Google

what's the solution to all this?

102. As a former
entrepreneur, |
can say that
niche startups are
too small

to tackle this
challenge...

103. Google

Change like this can only happen top-down,
from large institutions that define the
standards for millions of people...

104. Google

105. Google

And we're in a great position to
do something about all this...

106. Google

sm
me
an22012

We set the notification standards on
>50% of the world's mobile phones...

(4 trillion notifications sent last year on iOS alone)

107. 1 a
De Ac00000090
N MU \

we Shape

— s lives

(this is nuts!)

108. Google

Millions of knowledge workers spend
1/3rd of their day in our email product.

109. Google

Hundreds of millions of people
live in Chrome every day

110. Google

...and we have fortunate incentives.

111. Google

Google

Google Search I'm Fooling Lucky

Unlike many companies, our primary business
model is fulfilling human needs (searches),
and getting people on with their lives.

112. Google

not stealing more
of your time.