You open Instagram for a second… 30 minutes later, you are still scrolling. It’s not you. It’s smart product design. Here’s how Instagram keeps you hooked.
This may be an unpopular comment, but are we wrong to associate user engagement with user value?
It seems to me the addictive nature is serving the app, not the user. Sure they’re getting a dopamine hit, but how are we actually quantifying user value?
I could be misinterpreting the tone of the article but it’s as if we’re giddy about driving addictive behaviors in users.
I understand engagement drives revenue, but shouldn't our North Star metrics also measure how our products genuinely improve users' lives, not just how effectively they capture attention?
I agree--engagement should not only mean revenue (or addictive behaviour)
But, I think the larger point here is this:
1. Users use IG (or similar platforms) for a specific purpose. That purpose is usually entertainment, finding specific info, or just killing time.
2. As long as the user is able to meet that purpose, they are getting value (at least that is how I think of it)
3. And what IG (and most consumption based platforms) is doing is enabling that value easily and quickly.
If users are spending time on consuming content, that means the content is fulfilling some need of theirs and that is the value that these algos unlock
I'm not saying these algos are noble and only care about user's needs. (On the contrary, I am sure they are milking these patterns and behaviours)
WIth that said, what do you think is a better north star (than increasing time spent) for IG reels or IG in general?
I appreciated your response. In the post, Reels are described as ‘product strategy in motion’ rather than just content. Combined with the other insights (which are informative), I’m wondering if our product strategies have become overly focused on engagement metrics alone, particularly when that engagement might be unconscious or habit-forming.
I am not arguing against the player, I’m questioning if we, as product managers and strategists should start questioning the game and how it’s evolved.
With advances in AI we have a real opportunity to imagine a world where user value and utility can be evaluated and even personalized in new ways.
We all doom scroll, but that doesn’t mean we’re entertained. Introducing the term addictive gives us an opportunity to make a comparison.
Some people drink for entertainment and do not demonstrate ‘addictive’ behaviors.
Other people do demonstrate ‘addictive’ behaviors when they drink.
Should we assume those individuals are drinking for the same entertainment value as those who don’t demonstrate ‘addictive’ behaviors?
Is that really how we measure success…entertainment value = inability to stop scrolling?
As for alternative North Star metrics, what about measuring user-reported satisfaction with time spent? Or tracking whether users feel their time on the platform was ‘time well spent’ after a session ends? This might help distinguish between the kind of engagement that truly serves users versus the kind that just serves the platform.
I believe the two should be served. The product and the users. The product becomes sticky while providing values to the user. This is my understanding.
Spot on.. I was wondering the same. I think the lines are blurring but it would make more sense to pause and reflect a little.
After all, that little pause too choose is what would be left for a human in the future I suppose. So it would do well for us to keep that discernment and look at ways to enhance them or build a muscle for that amidst the chaos
When strategies/habit forming loops (in this case addiction forming) over-deliver on metrics like time spent, it requires the business/product to take a very hard look at themselves and go back and anchor on the “vision” they started the platform with, instead of milking the engagement for business/revenue goals.
Mind you, not arguing that business metrics/revenue are bad KPIs. But capitalising on “addiction” to boost platform revenue is like asking honest tax payers to pay more tax (leading to unconstrained taxpayer abuse).
Instagram’s official vision/mission statement per their website is “Where everyday moments, bring friends together”. Now is “time spent” really a good measure of achieving that vision ? Perhaps no. Agree with the general sentiment on the thread that one should instead look at metrics that define “value” for the end consumer.
One example of such measure could be %sessions where action was taken on content (liked, shared, commented) as opposed to just viewed (doom scrolled) and the goal could be how to boost those sessions. Each action taken on a content is a positive measure of user appreciating the content creator’s work/building a connection between the two parties. Which is closer to the goal/vision of “creating connections” that the platform has. Plus the content ‘creator’/‘sharer’ feels acknowledged better with “interactions” as measures than just chasing “views” which are a vanity metric.
This may be an unpopular comment, but are we wrong to associate user engagement with user value?
It seems to me the addictive nature is serving the app, not the user. Sure they’re getting a dopamine hit, but how are we actually quantifying user value?
I could be misinterpreting the tone of the article but it’s as if we’re giddy about driving addictive behaviors in users.
I understand engagement drives revenue, but shouldn't our North Star metrics also measure how our products genuinely improve users' lives, not just how effectively they capture attention?
I agree--engagement should not only mean revenue (or addictive behaviour)
But, I think the larger point here is this:
1. Users use IG (or similar platforms) for a specific purpose. That purpose is usually entertainment, finding specific info, or just killing time.
2. As long as the user is able to meet that purpose, they are getting value (at least that is how I think of it)
3. And what IG (and most consumption based platforms) is doing is enabling that value easily and quickly.
If users are spending time on consuming content, that means the content is fulfilling some need of theirs and that is the value that these algos unlock
I'm not saying these algos are noble and only care about user's needs. (On the contrary, I am sure they are milking these patterns and behaviours)
WIth that said, what do you think is a better north star (than increasing time spent) for IG reels or IG in general?
I appreciated your response. In the post, Reels are described as ‘product strategy in motion’ rather than just content. Combined with the other insights (which are informative), I’m wondering if our product strategies have become overly focused on engagement metrics alone, particularly when that engagement might be unconscious or habit-forming.
I am not arguing against the player, I’m questioning if we, as product managers and strategists should start questioning the game and how it’s evolved.
With advances in AI we have a real opportunity to imagine a world where user value and utility can be evaluated and even personalized in new ways.
We all doom scroll, but that doesn’t mean we’re entertained. Introducing the term addictive gives us an opportunity to make a comparison.
Some people drink for entertainment and do not demonstrate ‘addictive’ behaviors.
Other people do demonstrate ‘addictive’ behaviors when they drink.
Should we assume those individuals are drinking for the same entertainment value as those who don’t demonstrate ‘addictive’ behaviors?
Is that really how we measure success…entertainment value = inability to stop scrolling?
As for alternative North Star metrics, what about measuring user-reported satisfaction with time spent? Or tracking whether users feel their time on the platform was ‘time well spent’ after a session ends? This might help distinguish between the kind of engagement that truly serves users versus the kind that just serves the platform.
I believe the two should be served. The product and the users. The product becomes sticky while providing values to the user. This is my understanding.
Spot on.. I was wondering the same. I think the lines are blurring but it would make more sense to pause and reflect a little.
After all, that little pause too choose is what would be left for a human in the future I suppose. So it would do well for us to keep that discernment and look at ways to enhance them or build a muscle for that amidst the chaos
When strategies/habit forming loops (in this case addiction forming) over-deliver on metrics like time spent, it requires the business/product to take a very hard look at themselves and go back and anchor on the “vision” they started the platform with, instead of milking the engagement for business/revenue goals.
Mind you, not arguing that business metrics/revenue are bad KPIs. But capitalising on “addiction” to boost platform revenue is like asking honest tax payers to pay more tax (leading to unconstrained taxpayer abuse).
Instagram’s official vision/mission statement per their website is “Where everyday moments, bring friends together”. Now is “time spent” really a good measure of achieving that vision ? Perhaps no. Agree with the general sentiment on the thread that one should instead look at metrics that define “value” for the end consumer.
One example of such measure could be %sessions where action was taken on content (liked, shared, commented) as opposed to just viewed (doom scrolled) and the goal could be how to boost those sessions. Each action taken on a content is a positive measure of user appreciating the content creator’s work/building a connection between the two parties. Which is closer to the goal/vision of “creating connections” that the platform has. Plus the content ‘creator’/‘sharer’ feels acknowledged better with “interactions” as measures than just chasing “views” which are a vanity metric.