Sometimes I think back on the arrival of Achievements, when suddenly every minuscule or major accomplishment in an Xbox 360 game earned you a little congratulatory chime and persistent points to fuel your bragging rights. We didn’t know it then, but it now seems that was a harbinger for the modern era, in which companies give people fake little treats for engaging with all kinds of apps and services. In an effort to build brand loyalty and keep you coming back, plenty of mobile apps reward you for daily logins, completing certain tasks, and making their specific product or service so entrenched in your life that it becomes part of your routine to use it. You see it in everything from Duolingo’s language lessons to Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket’s pack cracking and Snapchat’s streaks, gained by sending pictures and videos to the same person each day. With so many things vying for our attention, this drip feed of dopamine was bound to move into unexpected places. But I gotta say, the last place I thought I’d find dailies was in an app for long-distance sex toys. – Kenneth Shepard Read More
