Hooked Gram — Instagram and the Hook Model
Where to start with???
Okay.. Let’s start with sunrise🌄
For a long time its been a habit for us checking our mobile phone right after waking up. I recently re-installed Instagram and ever since I installed, I can observe that I’m investing much energy over there..!
Searching for the cause of this addiction I ended up finding HOOK model by Nir Eyal on YouTube
HOOK?
Yes…!
It is a model that describes user interaction with an addictive product passes through four phases.
They are — Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, Investment
Trigger:
Triggers are of two types: External and Internal.
Addictive products start by alerting users with external triggers like an email, a link on a web site, or the app icon on a phone.
For most of us, Our daily routines start with an alarm application and we turn conscious looking at device screen.
Time ✅
What next? Notifications
A message from a friend, a like/tag to posts. These make us dive into application for once. This is about external triggers
By cycling continuously through these hooks, users begin to form internal triggers. The internal trigger becomes part of their routine behavior and the habit is formed.
Internal Triggers is the linkage between our emotions/feelings(boredom, anger, ..) and the content of application. When we are using the application to relieve or fulfill some emotional need, brain will create a pattern to stimulate action whenever emotion turned imbalance.
If you kill boredom with memes, Lack of memes raises boredom
Action:
After the trigger comes the intended action. Here, companies leverage two pulleys of human behavior — motivation and ability.
Swiping is the only action we are intended to do to find new things on IG. Swiping and watching new things make us curious to know what next..!
Variable Reward:
For example, You went to a movie with a friend who already watched it.
How do you feel if they reveal suspense and following scenes?
Irritating and we lose interest right??
If you know what’s coming next, you’ll certainly lose interest
Same with the content of Instagram, we couldn’t guess what’s coming in the next swipe. This curiosity will make us stuck in a wanting loop.
No matter what you find next…Keep scrolling scrolling scrolling
Investment:
Money?
No…!
Time?
Obviously but something more..!
What’s more?
A few more actions
Yes…a few actions such as double-tap to like, share, follow, invite friends.
If you contribute to something either knowingly/unknowingly it leaves a mark that you own a part of it. No matter how small the contribution is..!
These investments makes the trigger more engaging, the action easier, and the reward more exciting with every pass through the Hook
The more hook cycles I engage with, the more chance I enter infinite loop making a habit…err…addiction..!