Decision-Making without Social Regulation

Today I stumbled on a great insight in Joan Westenberg’s newsletter: McDonald’s noticed that when people use self-service kiosks, they order more food—like two burgers instead of one. No awkward pause. No cashier watching you. No social judgment. Just you and the screen. Turns out, when there’s no one on the other side of the interaction, we act differently. With fewer social cues—no eye contact, no raised eyebrow—we stop self-regulating. We follow impulse. This doesn’t just apply to fast food. Online shopping? It’s one-click chaos. No one’s there to judge the third gadget or impulsive hoodie. Dating apps? We swipe fast. Faces become trading cards. A quick yes, a quick no. Social media? No one’s giving you that “really?” look mid-rant. So we post more freely—sometimes too freely. Designing digital experiences often removes friction. But friction is sometimes what makes us human. And sometimes… what stops us from ordering that second cheeseburger.