“Wake up sleepy head… it’s time to go to the gym.” “Put down those chips!” “Stop wasting time on Facebook.” If any of the above statements resonate with you, then you’re not alone. Maneesh Sethi, author and Stanford alumnus has said all of the above to himself at one point, and wanted to know why. Why, despite knowing the right thing to do, he kept making the wrong choices. His solution wasn’t to buy a book, splash out on a personal trainer or go to a professional. Instead, Sethi investigated how humans behave; how they form habits. His research led him to invent Pavlok, a $250 wearable he’s launching later this year. One that will, literally, shock you.
It is the wristband that could literally jolt you in action – by giving its wearer an electric shock if they don’t reach their fitness goals or hit their work deadline. Called Pavlok, it uses the idea of positive reinforcement to try and change a user’s behaviour. Its makers hope it could go on sale this year – and be far more effective than current tracking bands. The firm has raised over $100,000 in investment already, and is planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign soon to raise money for its first batch of bracelets, says founder Maneesh Sethi. ‘It’s not about the shock as much as it is about training your brain to do the things you say you’re going to do,’ Sethi told Boston.com. Negative reinforcement ‘really does make people pay attention,’ he said. According to the firm’s website,’Pavlok offers a simple, wearable device that helps consumers form better habits. ‘Using psychologically proven and user tested algorithms, the Pavlok wristband enforces users’ commitments to fitness, productivity, and more — even if that means ‘sparking’ their commitment by delivering a mild (but jolting) electric shock.’
