Humans Just Wanna Have Fun: Why We Always Choose the Fun Path

Saeed Zeinali
2 min readDec 30, 2024

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Cellphones began as simple devices. They let us call anyone from anywhere. But two visions soon emerged. One was all about boosting efficiency. That’s where BlackBerry came in with its QWERTY keyboard and “crackberry” nickname. The other was about entertainment. Apple led that charge, turning phones into mini funhouses of apps, games, and music.

Fun Fact #1: When Apple launched the first iPhone in 2007, it had no App Store. That arrived a year later, unleashing apps like Angry Birds and Instagram.
Fun Fact #2: BlackBerry once boasted over 80 million users at its peak in 2012. Yet by 2020, it held less than 1% of the global smartphone market. Meanwhile, Apple has sold over 2.2 billion iPhones worldwide.

I’ve often wondered what life would look like if BlackBerry’s thesis had won. Maybe your work proposal or project plan would go viral instead of the latest dance video. We’d all be tapping away on tiny keyboards and sending impeccably formatted emails. Sure, we’d be efficient, but would we have as much fun?

We see this tension elsewhere. Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) help people save for medical expenses. Over 32 million such accounts exist in the U.S., holding over $100 billion in assets. Yet many of us still spend on massages rather than mental health. Logic points one way, but we go for what feels good.

Now, as we build AI tools and design new systems, it’s key to remember we’re pulled toward fun. According to Pew Research, 85% of U.S. adults now own a smartphone, and many say they use it primarily for entertainment. ChatGPT also blew up partly because it’s entertaining to try. Efficiency matters, but fun often wins.

You can create the most efficient product out there, but if it isn’t enjoyable, it’ll struggle. We’re creatures of habit, and at the end of the day, we just want to have a good time.

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Saeed Zeinali
Saeed Zeinali

Written by Saeed Zeinali

Healthcare, Business and Tech enthusiast. Passionate about arts, food, and road-running.

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