Tame the Infinity Pools

Add friction to bottomless apps — news feeds, email, video — so they stop hijacking attention.

Why it works

Feed-based apps are engineered to be endless and variably rewarding, which makes them compulsive: the next swipe might pay off, so the loop never closes. Adding friction (log out, remove the app, leave the device elsewhere) raises the cost of the first tap above the reflexive threshold, breaking the automatic reach.

How to do it

1. Identify your personal Infinity Pools — the apps you open without deciding to.
2. Log out, remove them from your phone, or use a blocker during focus time.
3. Make the default "off" so using them takes a deliberate choice.

Evidence

Consistent with research on variable-ratio reinforcement driving compulsive checking and on friction/choice-architecture changing behavior more reliably than intention alone. (mechanistic)

The "Infinity Pool" label is the authors’ coinage; the underlying mechanisms (variable reward, friction) are well established, the specific tactics less formally tested.

Common mistake

Promising to use the apps "less" without changing their accessibility, so the one-tap reflex wins every time you’re bored or stuck.