<!-- Source: Magnotia Master Brief — §14 Why Current Tools Fail -->

## 14. Why Current Tools Fail

- **Traditional to-do lists** list *what* needs doing without addressing *how* to start, immediately triggering overwhelm and analysis paralysis.
- **Rigid habit tracking and gamification** in existing ADHD apps feels guilt-inducing, impersonal, and overwhelming. They prioritise behaviour correction over emotional safety and flexibility.
- **Cloud latency kills focus.** Cloud-based apps require server round-trips for every action. For users with executive dysfunction, loading spinners introduce micro-distractions that break focus and frequently lead to task abandonment.
- **Cognitive overhead compounds fast.** Keystroke-Level Modelling shows that apps requiring manual syncing or custom rule-building add 4.7 seconds of cognitive overhead per interaction. After just 8 seconds of interruption, working memory traces decay beyond reliable reconstruction for ADHD neurotypes, increasing error rates by 63%.
- **App fatigue is endemic.** The market is flooded with generic productivity apps, leading to severe app fatigue among ADHD users who have tried and abandoned dozens of systems.
