We often blame our devices’ addictive design features – the constant notifications, glowing screens, and tempting red dots – for our inability to disconnect from our phones.
But there’s an additional thing going on here, which I call “the bundling effect.”
A year ago, when I started sending money to my kids through Apple Pay, I discovered the convenience of paying with my phone. My large, bulky wallet quickly gave way to a small one, which now sits neglected at the bottom of my bag, emerging only for weekly trips to cash-only vendors at the farmer’s market.
This pattern isn’t new – I’d already abandoned my wristwatch years ago, letting my phone tell time. One by one, physical objects are being replaced by digital alternatives, all bundled into our phones.
And bundling goes beyond replacing physical items. Take weather forecasts: our phones have become the default way to decide what to wear or whether to grab an umbrella.
Why does bundling matter? It matters because while convenient, it is another strategy to extend our time online.
Each time we check the weather or time, we rarely stop there. Lured in by our phones’ addictive features, we spend unplanned minutes checking emails, texts, social media, and news.
Paying with our phones takes us further away from simple everyday interactions. Standing in line to pay, we instinctively scroll through our phones while waiting our turn or during any pause in the payment process.
Bundling is a gravitational force, constantly drawing us back to our screens, making each interaction an invitation to further engagement.