Choice is a tax. We make ~35,000 decisions every day, and that constant micro-calculation drains our energy. Personalization promises relief by filtering options for us but it also reshapes the choices we see and, over time, erodes our agency. 1

Rise of personalization

• Smartphones + constant connectivity unlocked massive data collection.

• Ads → search → social → streaming: everything is now tuned to your profile.

• Netflix: has dynamic covers that change based on your fav shot style, actor, genre, etc. 2

Empowerment > personalization

• Awareness tools: Apple Screen Time, Google Digital Wellbeing.

• Algorithmic control: let users tune their own feeds.

• Low-interface futures: AI systems like Rabbit R1 had potential to cut reliance on apps/screens.

Personalization isn’t neutral. It saves us time, but it also invisibly shapes how we spend it. The next wave of design should focus less on capturing attention and more on giving it back.