Does Setting a Time Limit Affect Time Spent?

54 Pages Posted: 13 Mar 2023

See all articles by Jackie Silverman

Jackie Silverman

University of Delaware - Business Administration

Shalena Srna

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Marketing

Jordan Etkin

Duke University - Fuqua School of Business

Date Written: March 7, 2023

Abstract

New technologies have made it easier than ever before to consume content online. Consumers spend hours browsing social media, playing games, and watching videos. To aid in consumers’ time management, many companies (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, YouTube) have recently introduced the option to set a “time limit” on their platforms. These features ask consumers to select an amount of time after which they would like to receive an alert. But while giving consumers this option may be well intended, how does it actually impact time spent? Contrary to expectations, rather than leading consumers to spend less time on an activity, five pre-registered experiments demonstrate that setting a time limit can have the opposite effect. This occurs because consumers implicitly treat time limits like budgets, perceiving time up to the limit as earmarked for the activity and facilitating such spending. Consequently, setting a time limit (vs. not) can increase time spent. The findings further understanding of the impact of new technologies, how consumers mentally budget time, and the effects of limits. Further, they have clear implications for the use of limits as a time management tool: merely providing the option to set a time limit may be insufficient to protect consumer wellbeing.

Keywords: self-tracking, technology, time management, mental budgets, limits, reference points

Suggested Citation

Silverman, Jackie and Srna, Shalena and Etkin, Jordan, Does Setting a Time Limit Affect Time Spent? (March 7, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4381779 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4381779

Jackie Silverman (Contact Author)

University of Delaware - Business Administration ( email )

214 MBNA America Hall
Orchard Road & Amstel Avenue
Newark, DE 19716-2710
United States

Shalena Srna

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Marketing ( email )

701 Tappan Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
United States

Jordan Etkin

Duke University - Fuqua School of Business ( email )

Box 90120
Durham, NC 27708-0120
United States

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