The Jackpot Effect Of Smartphones
How We Crave Digital Rewards—and How to Reclaim Real-Life Joy
Introduction
One of the most interesting phenomena I often explore is phone usage.
It’s an intriguing subject because you realize just how this device has not only taken control of people’s lives but is also affecting their bodily structure and dictating how they use their time, energy, and resources.
It’s something I’ve explored multiple times, including in my podcast episode, ‘Help, I Can’t Get Off My Phone.
I’ve found a study and a graph1 highlighting how social media usage has become an overwhelmingly rampant part of our lives.
But the real question is: why? Why do we spend so much time on these platforms?
I’ve explored this multiple times, and I’ve come to understand the reason.
A Psychological Hook
The answer lies in the jackpot effect, rooted in Pavlovian studies. These experiments, conducted by Ivan Pavlov, initially focused on conditioning dogs.
Pavlov discovered that when dogs were given food (a reward) every time a bell rang, they began to associate the bell with the food. Over time, just hearing the bell caused them to salivate—even without food being present.
This study uncovered a fundamental principle of human and animal behavior: we are wired to seek rewards and repeat behaviors that bring them. Social media and other technologies hijack this reward system by offering us constant “bells”—likes, notifications, videos—each triggering a dopamine release in our brains.
Speaking of jackpot effect studies, check out my other article on rat studies and how these experiments have influenced our behaviors.
Tech companies have masterfully adapted this principle to human behavior. Social media platforms are designed to act like Pavlov’s bell, training us to crave likes, comments, and new content. Every notification we receive triggers a small dopamine release, creating a feedback loop that keeps us returning for more.
Platforms like Instagram and Facebook use intermittent reinforcement—the same principle that powers slot machines. You don’t get likes and comments at predictable intervals; instead, they appear sporadically, making each one feel like a surprise reward.
This unpredictability strengthens the habit loop, making it nearly impossible to resist checking your phone.
How the Jackpot Effect Rules Our Phones
Each swipe or scroll on our phone promises a jackpot moment: a hilarious meme, an inspiring video, or a viral trend. These small, intermittent rewards keep us hooked, just as Pavlov’s dogs salivated at the sound of a bell.
Take TikTok as an example. Its algorithm is designed to serve highly personalized content in rapid succession. Each video is short, ensuring minimal commitment but maximum potential for engagement.
The unpredictability of what comes next keeps users endlessly scrolling—what’s known as the “infinite scroll” design. This cycle mirrors the jackpot effect, keeping users addicted.
Similarly, video games like Fortnite employ tactics like “loot boxes” and “randomized rewards.” Players open loot boxes with the hope of finding rare items or skins. The excitement isn’t just about what you receive; it’s about the anticipation of what could be inside.
This mechanism is deliberately crafted to replicate the thrill of gambling, reinforcing a pattern of addictive behavior.
The psychological trick is in the uncertainty—you never know when you’ll hit the jackpot, so you keep playing.
With TikTok potentially being banned in the coming months, millions of users—about 170 million daily—are panicking about losing their primary source of entertainment. Many of these users rely on the platform for nothing more than cat videos and trend-hopping.
This highlights the unfortunate dependency many have on digital jackpots and how deeply embedded these behaviors are in our daily lives.
Why Isn’t Life Enough?
This study brings us to a deeper question: why do we seek rewards from our phones instead of from real life?
The answer lies in the nature of life itself. Unlike the instant gratification of a phone or game, real life is slow, unpredictable, and often challenging. It requires effort and patience to uncover its rewards. For many people, this reality feels too sobering, leading them to seek easier, quicker sources of joy.
One phrase that resonates deeply with me is the idea that “life itself is the most sobering drug.” It’s a raw, unfiltered experience that many people try to avoid by turning to external stimulants—whether it’s social media, drugs, or other distractions.
The sobering reality of life can be challenging, but it’s also what makes it so rewarding.
To illustrate, think about exercise or learning a skill. The initial effort can feel like a grind with no immediate payoff, but over time, the rewards—better health, personal growth, and mastery—are profound.
Unfortunately, our brains, conditioned by the instant gratification of digital jackpots, find it harder to delay satisfaction for these long-term gains.
At its core, this dependency on digital jackpots stems from a lack of fulfillment in real life. The solution?
Go out and make your life the prize. Spend time in the real world and create moments that are rewarding and enriching. Life is the ultimate jackpot, but it takes effort and presence to realize it.
The Real-Life Jackpot
The solution is simple yet profound: make your life the jackpot. Here’s how I’ve been able to implement this in my life:
Discover Your Purpose
Ask yourself: What do I want to do with my life? Finding your purpose is the first step. I delve into this in my article, “How to Find Your Life’s Purpose,” offering practical steps to uncover what truly matters to you.
Live Your Purpose
Knowing your purpose is only the beginning. Living it is where transformation happens. In “How to Not Quiet Quit and Live Your Best Life,” I outline strategies for aligning your actions and goals with your deeper purpose.
Create Systems for Success
A fulfilling life doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intentional habits and routines. Articles like “Creating Daily Routines” and “How the CIA Taught Us to Problem Solve” provide practical frameworks for turning your purpose into actionable, daily steps.
By understanding your purpose and living it, you can reclaim your time, energy, and focus, transforming your life into the ultimate jackpot.
Closing Thoughts
Phones and games aren’t inherently bad. They connect us, entertain us, and open new opportunities. But when they replace real-life fulfillment, they become traps.
Step away from the digital slot machine and into the richness of life. We must use technology intentionally as a tool to enhance our lives—not as a way to escape it.
Our jackpot isn’t in our phones—it’s in the moments we create, the relationships we nurture, and the purpose we live. Let’s step into the richness of real life and make every moment count.
As always, thank you for the time and attention. Happy Holidays and be great.
Ashe,
Franklin O’Kanu
Next Steps
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Notes and References
https://flowingdata.com/2015/12/15/a-day-in-the-life-of-americans/
OK, this is where we are now. Next step?
We officially (as admitted by law) consider gambling something “bad”. When profits from it go the lawmakers, it’s only tiny bad. When others want to take advantage of this opportunity, it is criminally bad.
The same rule applies to tobacco and alcohol. The lawmakers’ stamp makes it tiny bad. Without profit sharing, it is criminally bad.
The supply in both cases is limited, both in time (opening hours) and resources (the depth of your pocket). Maybe this is the reason why these sources of addiction have not been banned altogether - you can use them only as long as you can afford them. Theoretically, you will wake up next morning and be able to go out to work.
Smartphone addictions are different. There is no time limit. There is no cash limit. And they make you practically unemployable. Even if you are not glued to the screen, your thoughts constantly hover over it. Your working capacity collapses and you slowly become completely useless for the employer.
The next step: When will smartphones be banned?
Or... are the profits drawn through smartphones and channelled to the lawmakers big enough to neglect the human cost? Are smartphone users considered to be the collateral damage of profit pursuits?
Also... when the hunting season is open, we are told that smartphones are made by the Chinese and thus are extremely bad bad. But the next day doesn’t bring about any change in this respect. How is that?
If that’s the case, nothing in our life has any value other than measured by dollars or cents. Is this the dystopia in disguise?
Sites such as YouTube are kind of the same deal. Endless recommendations on the side, with clickbait titles, thumbnails, etc. It's all crack. People have been turned into crackheads, with the Internet being the drug. Not sure we can fix that, not unless they hit rock bottom at least.