You are signed in. Close

You are signed out. Close

Thank you. Your subscription has started. Close

Thank you. You will get an email when a new comic comes out. Close

We could not confirm your payment. If you paid, use the link "Sign in" at the bottom of the page. Close

Something went wrong on our side. Please try again in a moment. Close

Previous episode Red badges: why the little red dot on your apps is so hard to ignore

How your phone hooks you: dopamine, infinite scroll and the slot machine in your pocket

Streaks: why you keep an app streak going even when you no longer care

A small flame with a number can make people open an app every single day, even on holiday. The pull is not the photo or the lesson. It is what the flame does to the question you ask yourself each evening.

  1. 1 On a chat app, you and Rono each send the other one photo a day. A little flame counts the days in a row: 99. This is a streak.you99Rono

    On a chat app, you and Rono each send the other one photo a day. A little flame counts the days in a row: 99. This is a streak.

  2. 2 Day 100. You are tired and have nothing to say. At five to midnight, you send Rono a photo of your ceiling. He sends back a photo of his. Neither of you wanted to talk. Both of you wanted to keep the flame.your ceilinghis ceiling

    Day 100. You are tired and have nothing to say. At five to midnight, you send Rono a photo of your ceiling. He sends back a photo of his. Neither of you wanted to talk. Both of you wanted to keep the flame.

The rest of this episode is for subscribers

Subscribe to read every premium episode. You can cancel when you want.

Paid yearly: $99 instead of $119.88

Next episode Turning off notifications: what happened when scientists tried it

Share this comic

More comics