“The Science of Accessibility: How Small Changes Break Big Habits.”

               When we are on a diet the last thing, we want on the counter is warm chocolate chip cookies. The smoker attempting to quit will never quit, if they carry a package of cigarettes on their person. The drug addict must distance him or herself from triggers and from environments where drugs are easily accessed.

              There is a famous study regarding Hershey’s kisses that I believe is a reminder of the power of accessibility. In this Cornell study they put a clear jar of kisses on the desk of the participant. They then monitored how many Hershey’s kisses were eaten per day in close proximity; the resulting average was 7.7. For the second part of the study, they moved the jar of kisses, so it was 6 feet away from the participant. This time it was off the desk and furth away, simply by altering the accessibility 5.6 kisses were eaten. 

A third and fourth phase who also implemented. This time they used opaque jars, so the kisses were not as easily seen. This time participants when the kisses were on the desk ate 4.6 per day, while eating only 3.1 per day when the opaque jar was 6 feet away. (Peter Hollins: Chapter 7: The Science of Self-discipline). 

     There are a lot of lessons we can learn from the Hershey’s kisses experiment. First is what we already know, Hershey’s kisses are good. They are even better with peanut butter, I have learned that over a lifetime of clinical, and mostly hands on experience.

     Second and more importantly distance matters. The further away, the less accessible the kisses were, the less likely they were to be eaten. I believe had they been in the room next door, the number eaten per day would have even been much lower. The other factor of the opaque jars reminds us that we can make things less attractive, despite being accessible. That is a lesson for another day. 

When dealing with technology, we must somehow attack and address accessibility. As parents we must have guidelines and screen limits, and time limits, phone sharing, parental controls and fasting days and rest periods from screens. There are several ways to do this, we must choose the ones that will be most effective for our families. Unrestrained accessibility simply is an invitation for excessive digital use.

Most Americans back in the day of prohibition were not fans of a law outlawing their alcohol. The law only lasted 13 years, but there are some fascinating outcomes from the law. For a time, due to lack of accessibility, drinking alcohol was down by 50%. This is not because people did not want alcohol, it is simply because it was tough to get. Could they have gotten it? Yes! They did not because it took a lot more effort and expense and risk.

     We need to use the same principle in screen accessibility. We need to limit access to help reduce our daily screen time us.

Ann Lembke in “Dopamine Nation” reminded us that the biggest risk in addiction is accessibility. She reminded that easy access to a drug is a big risk factor to getting addicted. Dr. Nicholas Kardaras said, “Digital drugs can be a little scarier than chemical drugs…because of their accessibility.” (Glow Kids Nicholas Kardaras)

May we address accessibility as families to help us to better manage our current screen struggles and issues. 

- By Jeff Erickson, LAC ASAT

https://www.arizonafamilyinstitute.com/Jeff-Erickson-LAC