All products and services, everything we buy and use, have but one job—to modulate our mood. The fundamental reason we use technology of all sorts, from stone tools to the latest iPhone, is to make us feel better. To prove the point, consider how perception of relief is tantamount to actual relief. Consider the so-called placebo button.

Take, for example, the lowly crosswalk button. When we find ourselves at an intersection, waiting for a light to change, we tap the button, sometimes more than once. Most people believe these buttons are connected to some master control box that will signal the light to change so we can cross the street. In truth, these buttons often do nothing.

You can read the Nir and Far blog post on: Your World is Full of Placebo Buttons (and That's a Good Thing) https://www.nirandfar.com/2016/10/your-world-is-full-of-placebo-buttons-and-thats-a-good-thing.html