The Links Between Social Media and Chronic Addiction

Sensor Tower analyst Randy Nelson provides additional details into the psychology behind Instagram’s many notifications:

“Push notifications are the first line of this strategy. They address you directly and say, ‘Hey, come back to the app.’ It’s the most overt thing these apps do, and it’s integral to the process of re-engaging users.”

Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Other Popular Apps

Like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook also have their own strategies for increasing the time that users spend on their platforms.

In the case of Twitter, the “spinning wheel” which pops up when users refresh their timelines is a trick known as the “variable ratio schedule.” The idea is to increase anticipation and eagerness for a “reward” of new, more enthralling tweets.

Facebook also employs tricks reminiscent of those used by Instagram and Twitter. Firstly, the site track prior posts. Then, Facebook shows users what “friends” have posted in the ‘news feed.’