friction makes rituals stick. if opening instagram takes 2 seconds instead of zero, that pause is where the ritual lives. you notice the choice instead of autopilot. works for building good habits too - the slowdown creates space for intention
friction is underrated as an attention design pattern. blocking feels punitive, friction just makes you notice the reach instead of being on autopilot. not saying it solves algorithmic feeds, but the pause before opening apps changes the math for most people