Khan Academy
Khan Academy offers free, structured courses with practice exercises. The app lets you learn at your own pace with no algorithmic feed or engagement tricks.
Why this score
Lessons are organized into clear progressions with practice exercises that require active problem-solving. No public metrics, no social comparison, no engagement notifications.
Cognitive Nourishment is among the highest in the database because the entire experience is built around active learning with immediate feedback.
The breakdown
- Attention Capture1.0
Mechanics designed to keep you in the app right now — infinite scroll, autoplay, variable rewards, and reactive swipe-tap loops.
- Habit Formation2.0
Mechanics designed to bring you back — streak coercion, default push notifications, and re-engagement of dormant users.
- Social Pressure1.0
How much the experience exploits social psychology — public metrics, profile curation, and status comparison against others.
- Time Theft1.0
Mechanics that steal more time than you intended to give — no stopping cues, short units, and 'just one more' loops.
- Cognitive Erosion1.0
Mechanics that replace your independent thinking, memory, or judgment — creating dependency on the tool to function.
- Cognitive Nourishment9.0
Whether the app actively strengthens your ability to think for yourself. Shown on the label, but it does not affect the score.