Make defaults work for you

One of the cognitive biases of behavioral economics is a tendency to leave default settings as they are. In a world of many options, taking the easy path is an understandable short-cut that saves us time and effort. Defaults might not even be noticed, let alone thought about. The problem is this: defaults are not likely to be the best choice for us, and are very unlikely to be created with our welfare in mind. Take the time to notice the defaults in your life, think about whether they are what you really want, and adjust them to work better for you if needed.

• What are the defaults?
• Am I happy with them?
• Make a change if not.

Defaults on our devices are designed for the benefit of technology companies, not for us. It can be highly profitable for them when they steal our focus. Invest a bit of time to decide what apps and notifications work for you, and adjust accordingly. To see how, here is how to create a distraction free Android from the folks at Make Time. Learn more about the powerful pull of social media with the links below. Amazon affiliate links to books provide a small commission to help support the Daily PlanIt.

Books and TED talks:

• “Irrisistable” by Adam Alter, TED talk Why our screens make us less happy
• “Stolen Focus” by Johann Hari, TED talk Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong
• “Indistractable” by Nir Eyal, TED talk What makes technology so habit-forming?
• “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt, TED talk Are smartphones ruining childhood?
• “Thrive” by Gina Anderson, TED talk The power of being present
• Dino Ambrosi TED talk The battle for your time, read The Solution is to change your brain
• Tristan Harris TED talk How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds. Watch the documentary “The Social Dilemma“
• Luke Burgis, Big Think Social media addiction -how it changes your brain

Devices are not the only place to look for defaults. The defaults for brains, beliefs, and behaviors can have a significant negative impact on our lives.

• Brain defaults – be aware of cognitive biases which often lead to irrational choices.
• Belief defaults – sometimes we develop unhealthy beliefs. Anne-Laure Le Cunff describes several default mindsets in videos from Big Think. What is your default mindset? Change to a growth mindset instead.
• Behavior defaults – health and nutrition habits are often unhealthy, due in part to lack of knowledge and present bias, but also because foods that sell the best are often highly processed and loaded with sugar and salt. Restaurants and commercials bombard us with attractive temptations that are not good for us. Create habits for a healthier body and mind with exercise and unprocessed foods. Try experiments to see what works.

Learn more

• Success by default at Psychology Today
• Social Media Literacy from Khan Academy
• How to Minimize Distractions at Mindfulambition.net

Explore more TED talks by speakers who are also authors at TED Talk Book Discussion.

About dailyplanit

I seek to create order from the chaos of complex information. Join me at the Daily PlanIt to gain insights, inspiration, and information to increase skills for a better life. I unlock the power of teaching reading with phonics in the pursuit of literacy at www.phonicspow.com. In my spare time I explore books and movies, often choosing titles available on both screen and page.