When does the program become the programmer?

I was sitting on the porch of my home when my friend looked at his wrist and noted that his smartwatch declared that he is “relaxed.”

“It’s interesting,” he said, “that this computer program on my wrist, created by some stranger, is reinforcing my mental state.”

We got into a discussion about this psychological line — when are we truly relaxed, and when do we become relaxed because a smart device is telling us that we are relaxed?

If a smart device keeps telling us we are in a certain mood, do we start feeling that mood?

The door opens for behavior change

In ordinary times, consumers tend to stick stubbornly to their habits, resulting in very slow adoption (if any) of beneficial innovations that require behavior change.

Now, the pandemic has caused different way of shopping during the pandemic.

Behavioral science tells us that identifying consumers’ new beliefs, habits, and “peak moments” is central to driving behavioral change. Five actions can help companies influence consumer behavior for the longer term:

• Reinforce positive new beliefs.
• Shape emerging habits with new offerings.
• Align messages to consumer mindsets.