At the famed TED conference psychologist Barry Schwartz analyses the effect of the freedom of choice on people’s happiness and estimates that choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied. Something that always comes to mind when I think of the incredible over-saturation of the music market, particularly since MySpace and Tunecore made it possible for everyone to release music. Fascinating lecture.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 MikeM // Feb 28, 2010 at 9:35 pm
I know the point is to focus on the negatives of choice because we all understand the benefits. But I think a more important question is deciding what areas are most important to have choice in and how to manage those choices most efficiently.
Take music – people DO want choice, they just don’t know how or can’t find the time to find what they want. That’s why sites like Pandora are some popular and important.
2 Wesley // Mar 1, 2010 at 9:21 am
Mike,
Thought it’s a slightly different area, I think you make an excellent point here. Definitely agreed! Some destinations are there to facilitate discovery (Pandora, radio), while others are there to channel the previous discovery process into a monetized fine-tuned choice.
W
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