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Mind Games: How Psychology Fuels Billion-Dollar Tech Companies

clock10 min

Discover how Amazon, Netflix, and TikTok engineer addictive experiences through psychological principles. Drawing from Dr. Andrew Huberman's research, Sheena Iyengar's famous jam study, and Robert Cialdini's influence principles, we reveal the invisible forces shaping your daily decisions-and how to use them ethically.

Mind Games: How Psychology Fuels Billion-Dollar Tech Companies
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How This Personalized Podcast Was Made

This podcast was created using BeFreed’s AI, based on selected books, the creator’s learning goals, and their preferred tone.

A Neural Substrate of Prediction and Reward
link
https://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/~dayan/papers/sdm97.html
Do defaults save lives?
link
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8996952_Medicine_Do_defaults_save_lives
Experimental Tests of the Endowment Effect and the Coase Theorem
link
https://econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucp:jpolec:v:98:y:1990:i:6:p:1325-48
Amazon, Tripadvisor, and others form Coalition for Trusted Reviews
link
https://apnews.com/article/43a478ac0b27d6bb773a3bbdba1858b1
Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life
link
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41556890-alchemy
Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk
link
https://www.dmi-ida.org/knowledge-base-detail/Prospect-Theory-An-Analysis
Amazon’s original 1997 letter to shareholders
link
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazons-original-1997-letter-to-shareholders
Adding Asymmetrically Dominated Alternatives: Violations of Regularity and the Similarity Hypothesis
link
https://econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:9:y:1982:i:1:p:90-98
Penny Wise and Pound Foolish: The Left-Digit Effect in Price Cognition
link
https://econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:32:y:2005:i:1:p:54-64
Sheena Iyengar: The Art of Choosing
link
https://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_the_art_of_choosing
Barry Schwartz: The Paradox of Choice
link
https://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_the_paradox_of_choice
Choiceology with Katy Milkman
link
https://www.katymilkman.com/podcast/choiceology/seasons-2-3
Thinking, Fast and Slow
link
https://www.befreed.ai/book/c062419a-f031-4c16-82ad-cda7884381ed
The Netflix Recommender System: Algorithms, Business Value, and Innovation
link
https://colab.ws/articles/10.1145%2F2843948
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
link
https://www.befreed.ai/book/hooked-by-nir-eyal
Cart & Checkout Usability Research (benchmark and findings)
link
https://baymard.com/research/checkout-usability
Modern Wisdom
link
https://www.tapesearch.com/episode/735-rory-sutherland-hidden-psychology-of-the-world-s-best-advertising/o8faGSTbvKvAeUKv86UPjF
The Goal-Gradient Hypothesis Resurrected: Purchase Acceleration, Illusionary Goal Progress, and Customer Retention
link
https://business.columbia.edu/faculty/research/goal-gradient-hypothesis-resurrected-purchase-acceleration-illusionary-goal
When Choice Is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?
link
https://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/11138768
Improving the Streak
link
https://blog.duolingo.com/improving-the-streak/
Freakonomics Radio
link
https://www.podgist.com/freakonomics/80-riding-the-herd-mentality/index.html
Dan Ariely: Are we in control of our own decisions?
link
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_are_we_in_control_of_our_own_decisions
Animating the Duolingo Streak
link
https://blog.duolingo.com/streak-milestone-design-animation/
Local Consumer Review Survey 2023
link
https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey-2023/
Patients' memories of painful medical treatments: real-time and retrospective evaluations of two minimally invasive procedures
link
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8857625/
Attitudinal Effects of Mere Exposure
link
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224982289_The_Attitudinal_Effects_of_Mere_Exposure
Nudge: The Final Edition
link
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18619786-nudge
Huberman Lab Podcast
link
https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/controlling-your-dopamine-for-motivation-focus-and-satisfaction
Atomic Habits
link
https://www.befreed.ai/book/atomic-habits-by-james-clear
1-Click (patent expiry and context)
link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1-Click
Go watch this WSJ investigation of TikTok’s algorithm
link
https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/21/22587113/tiktok-algorithm-wsj-investigation-rabbit-hole
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
link
https://www.befreed.ai/book/influence-the-psychology-of-persuasion-by-phd-robert-b-cialdini
How We Built the Friend Streak on Duolingo
link
https://blog.duolingo.com/product-lessons-friend-streak/
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Input question

How do tech companies like TikTok and Netflix use psychology to keep us addicted to our screens?

Podcast Style
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"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
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117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
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"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
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comments
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likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
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"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
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4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
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"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
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201
thumbsUp
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
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"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
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37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
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"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
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"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
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star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
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comments
201
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16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
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"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
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comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
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