What does it mean when tech companies call an app “sticky”?

Rabbi Landau explains that “sticky” is the word technology companies use themselves. “They don't even hide it. In their own words, they want their product to be more sticky.” The goal is to get you to act without consciously deciding, with fewer moments where you stop and choose.

And sticky, he says, “is like a trap that feels like comfort.” It doesn't feel like losing freedom. It feels pleasant, which is exactly why a person keeps handing his attention over without noticing.

He adds a pointed observation: “the people who built the cage are not the ones sitting in it.” A small group is paid to think, so that everyone else gradually stops. Against that, Rabbi Landau points to Shlomo HaMelech's protection: discretion and understanding guard a person.

Going deeper: Rabbi Landau's teaching, level by level

Surface claim

Tech companies openly say they want their products to be more sticky.

Fear, vulnerability, or tension

Sticky is a trap that feels like comfort, so the loss of freedom goes unnoticed.

Deepest human truth

Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you; the ability to think is worth protecting.

More questions from this teaching

• How can I protect my mind from technology built to keep me hooked?