What makes a digital product "addictive"?

Digital products are considered "addictive" when they're designed with features that encourage repeated use and extended engagement. These include infinite scrolling (where content never ends), intermittent rewards (like notifications or likes), personalized algorithmic feeds that serve content tailored to your interests, and social validation mechanisms. Companies deliberately engineer these elements using behavioral psychology principles to maximize the time users spend on their platforms, which directly correlates with increased revenue opportunities through advertising, subscriptions, or in-app purchases.

What is the "attention economy"?

The attention economy refers to a business model where consumer attention is treated as a limited resource that companies compete for. In this economy, the most valuable companies are those that can effectively capture, retain, and monetize user attention. As our digital consumption increases, the competition for our finite attention becomes more intense. Companies in this theme excel at winning this competition by creating platforms and experiences that keep users engaged for longer periods, which they can then convert into advertising revenue, subscription fees, or in-app purchases.

How do AI and machine learning affect these companies?

AI and machine learning act as powerful catalysts for these attention-capturing platforms. These technologies analyze user behavior to create increasingly personalized experiences, recommending content that keeps users engaged longer. For example, TikTok's algorithm quickly learns what videos hold your attention and serves similar content, while Netflix recommends shows based on your viewing history. As AI becomes more sophisticated, these platforms become even more effective at predicting what will keep you watching, playing, or scrolling, potentially increasing user retention and the company's ability to monetize that engagement.

What does "Market Cap" mean in the stock cards?

Market capitalization (Market Cap) represents the total value of a company's outstanding shares of stock. It's calculated by multiplying the current share price by the total number of shares. Market cap helps you understand the relative size of a company—large-cap companies ($10+ billion) are typically more established, while small-cap companies ($300 million to $2 billion) might offer more growth potential but with higher risk. When comparing companies in this theme, market cap gives you context about their scale in the attention economy landscape.

What does "Consensus Recommendation" tell me about these stocks?

Consensus Recommendation shows what financial analysts collectively think about a stock. It's typically presented as Buy, Hold, or Sell (sometimes with variations like Strong Buy or Strong Sell). This rating summarizes the opinions of multiple professional analysts who study the company's performance, financials, and future prospects. For addictive product stocks, a positive consensus might reflect expectations of continued user growth or improved monetization. While helpful for getting an overview of expert sentiment, remember that consensus doesn't guarantee future performance, and it's just one factor to consider in your investment decisions.

15 handpicked stocks

Can't Stop, Won't Stop Addictive Products

These companies have mastered the art of capturing your attention and keeping you scrolling, swiping, and streaming. Carefully selected by our analysts, this collection features platforms designed to be irresistible, turning user engagement into predictable revenue streams.

Han Tan | Market Analyst

Updated 2 days ago | Published at juin 17