Best article about forming habits I've seen

[bend_gules]

Again, scrolling through Ed Yong's 'missing links' and he's pointed to a terrific article in the NYT called 'How companies learn your secrets'.

It's about marketing data, how and why we form habits, and how (large) companies are using your purchasing records to guess when you will change your habits and develop new ones - in this case, when you find

Comments

[chequey]

I find kes_zone quite habit-forming - addictive, even!

Larmer, less so...

[larmer]

I'm happy on both counts.

[bend_gules]

Ah Larmer you charmer! Your taste in icons brings out the real you...

[kes_zone]

You are habit forming too. I think it is all the salt. I always want seconds!

[larmer]

Thanks that was an interesting article. Buried in 'big business is spying on us' is an interesting science lesson. The fact habits save us energy shows up that changing of habits takes energy and we only have so much energy in a day. This is why trying to change many habits at once fails.

I do like the unfortunate story about the irate Father.

Again thanks.

Now how to figure out creating a habit of going to bed by 9:30.

[mariedeblois]

Not enough money in truly helping people. :(

Thanks for sharing, though.

[thorngrove]

Yep, it's all horrifyingly true [cheerfully says the person who's worked for a geodemographics information marketing company for over a decade]