Trigger

Biological Parallel

A caribou's white tail flash triggers instant herd flight—no conscious evaluation, pure reflex. Triggers evolved as survival shortcuts: specific cues that activate prepared behaviors faster than cognition. Internal triggers (hunger, fear) and external triggers (alarm calls, predator movement) bypass deliberation because speed matters more than accuracy. Behavioral design exploits this: notifications, red badges, and vibrations are synthetic alarm calls that trigger compulsive checking. The brain can't distinguish real threats from designed ones.