Have you ever noticed how desperate apps can get? In my case, I went on vacation for a week, changing my regular routine and trying to put my phone down as much as possible. After a few days, what I call the “desperation notifications” started showing up. LinkedIn really, really wanted me to know that someone had posted something that I might find interesting. I was getting notifications from Instagram that a friend’s story was about to expire.
And those are just social media. My mood-tracking app was telling me, “It’s been a long time without you, my friend.” I don’t care about the reminders, per se. It’s a good way for me to monitor how I’m feeling to make sure there’s nothing happening that needs my attention. What I do mind is the cloying tone of voice to try to guilt me into using it. Although I suppose it’s better than my weather app calling me a “Lazy Meatbag.” (Guys, I’m in Florida in June. It’s going to be 90° and sunny with a chance of showers in the afternoon. I don’t need you to tell me that.)
Why do all this? It used to be that simply having a large number of users was good enough for tech companies and their investors. But then they noticed having lots of inactive users, while good for a company’s early prospects, didn’t turn into long-term growth. What they needed was to get users who keep coming back. You get more ad revenue from them. They’re likelier to upgrade to paid options. And even more simply than that, the crucial “Monthly Active Users” data point can be shown ticking up at the next meeting with investors.
But the nice thing about this week away is that I found I didn’t even need most of the notifications I was getting on a regular basis. It wasn’t too many, but now I’m even more ruthless. I disagree with Marie Kondo on almost everything, but cutting down on notifications and apps on your phone is definitely a time to be brutal with your slashing.
Just like the mood app I mentioned, if something is actually helpful in your daily life, keep it. But if not, you don’t need it.