[dkarl]

> In fact the advanced solution technology lies in the hands of productivity enemies: social media apps and games. Instagram, TikTok and Candy Crush have figured all this out. They know how to make you do something with very little willpower. They know how to present information in a way that’s not overwhelming. They give you rewards for doing things. Hints, nudges, suggestions.

It's true that TODO apps have a lot of bad aspects, but that's no reason to give up and hand yourself over to the exploitative dystopia of global industrial emotional manipulation. That's like hoping to go to hell after you die because you heard the devil makes the trains run on time.

Personally, I think a big part of the appeal TODO apps is the rush of optimism you get from adopting a new system. That's the part that gets people excited, all the marketing is build to whip it up, and it actually makes a positive difference in people's lives, temporarily. Believing you're going to live differently and get more shit down will, in fact, help you get more shit done. But I think we would be better off looking past that when we evaluate productivity apps. You have to be honest and ask yourself, if I am the driving force, if the motivation and belief are coming from my baseline instead of from how I feel pumped up on product marketing, then how useful will the app be? Because that's what you'll get after the first week.

Want regular artificial boosts to your belief in yourself and your optimism about your life? Don't shop for TODO apps. Hop cults, or hire a motivational life coach or something. Do yourself the favor of enjoying some continuity in your productivity tools.