Addictive Design

Addictive design refers to products and services that are designed to create a habit-forming experience that keep users engaged and coming back for more. The main objective of addictive design is to compel users to use a particular product or service, even if they do not have the desire to do so. The vast majority of social media platforms use addictive design techniques such as the like button, push notifications, infinite scrolling, and gamification in an attempt to increase the amount of time that users spend on their platform. While addictive design can be used to enhance the user experience, it also poses ethical concerns about data privacy, deception, and mental health.

Background

Dopamine

Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter, a chemical messenger in the brain, that is involved in movement, memory, motivation, attention, mood, and reward-seeking behaviors. Dopamine is often referred to as the “feel-good” hormone, and it plays a key role in the brain’s pleasure and reward systems. As humans, our brains inherently seek out behaviors that will elicit dopamine responses. That is, dopamine is released when you are doing something pleasurable, which makes you feel good. As a result, you seek out behaviors that elicit the same feeling. From an evolutionary perspective, dopamine is released to reward you for doing things that you need to survive, such as eating and drinking. This reward encourages you to seek out these behaviors again. Abnormal dopamine levels are associated with various mental health disorders such as ADHD and depression.

History

Casinos

Some addictive design techniques used across social media platforms are inspired by addictive design techniques used by casinos. In casinos, there are generally no windows or clocks which makes it difficult to distinguish between day and night. As a result, gamblers are encouraged to gamble for longer periods of time. Social media platforms employ the addictive design technique of infinite scrolling to achieve the same effect. That is, social media platforms use infinite scrolling to encourage users to consume more content than they otherwise would. Infinite scrolling is analogous to slot machines in casinos, in the sense that a user refreshing their content feed elicits the same dopamine response as would pulling the lever of a slot machine. That is, there is a slight delay between when a user's content feed refreshes and when a gambler’s slot machine displays a new set of symbols, and this delay builds anticipation for dopamine to be released.

Addictive Design Techniques

The Like Button

The like button is ubiquitous across social media platforms and is designed with the intention to encourage social reciprocity. Inherently, human beings feel satisfied when they receive social gratification, and likes are a form of social gratification. In other words, receiving a like elicits a dopamine response. As a result, users become incentivized to continue posting to social media platforms and seeking social affirmation through likes. On the other hand, users who do not receive an ample amount of likes on their posts feel distressed due to a lack of social validation.

Push Notifications

Push notifications, similar to the like button, are ubiquitous across social media platforms and are designed with the intention to grab the user’s attention and prompt them to use the application from which the notification is being sent. Receiving push notifications creates a sense of urgency and a fear of missing out. As a result, users feel a constant need to check their devices so they can stay in the loop. Similar to the like button, a dopamine response is elicited each time a user receives a push notification, resulting in users becoming incentivized to spend more time on their devices.

Infinite Scrolling

Infinite scrolling is a design technique in which all content is loaded on a single page instead of spreading the content across multiple pages. In other words, the user is able to continuously consume a seemingly endless amount of content by scrolling. This design leaves users susceptible to consuming much more content than they normally would without realizing it, which ultimately means users are being coerced into spending more time on the application than they intend to. Many social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok employ this addictive design technique.

Gamification

Gamification is defined as the use of game design elements and game principles in non-game contexts. In other words, gamification uses game mechanics to reward users for completing tasks. Some of the game design elements or game mechanics used in gamification are points, badges, and leaderboards. This addictive design technique is used in a variety of different contexts, such as health, education, and social media. In education, gamification is used to motivate students and make learning more interactive by giving rewards for completing tasks or quizzes. In health, gamification is used to encourage people to make healthier decisions by tracking progress and giving rewards when certain goals are met. In social media, gamification is used to encourage users to spend more time on the platform by creating an addictive, game-like experience.

Hick's Law

Hick’s Law states that the more choices a user faces, the longer it will take them to make a decision. In other words, users who are presented with an abundance of choices have to take the time to interpret each choice and make a decision, which gives the user more work that they do not want to do. Many social media platforms use Hick’s Law by minimizing the number of choices users are presented with. Users' brains go into autopilot when the number of choices they have to make is reduced, making it easier for them to spend more time on the platform.

Addictive Design Techniques in Popular Social Media Platforms

Social Media Platforms https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/15BD7/production/_115374098_social_media_logos.jpg.webp

TikTok

TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to create, watch, and share short-form videos. Most of the videos on the platform are based on entertainment and comedy, however it is increasingly used for infotainment, which is content that is intended to both entertain and inform. The platform is known for being addictive and attaining high levels of engagement. The principal design technique that TikTok uses to make their platform so addictive is infinite scrolling. That is, the application presents its users with a seemingly endless stream of content that is personalized to each individual user. TikTok employs Hick’s Law, which also contributes to the addictiveness of their platform. That is, being that TikTok personalizes each user's feed based on their own interests, the platform employs the use of an algorithm that makes the decision of what video to watch next for you. TikTok also employs the addictive design techniques of the like button and push notifications to create a sense of social reciprocity and ultimately encourage users to spend more time using the platform.

Instagram

Instagram is a social media platform that allows users to create, view, and share photos and videos. The platform was created with the intention of being able to share content with a group of people, such as followers or friends. However, the platform now promotes suggested content to users outside of the accounts they follow in order to encourage users to spend more time on the platform. Instagram copied this idea from TikTok to make their platform more addictive. That is, Instagram employed Hick’s Law in the same way that TikTok did, so users do not have to not decide what photo or video they want to view next. Additionally, similar to TikTok, Instagram employs the addictive design techniques of infinite scrolling, the like button, and push notifications in order to create a sense of social reciprocity and ultimately increase the number of time users spend on the platform.

Facebook

Facebook is a social media platform that allows users to share pictures, music, videos, articles, and their own personal thoughts and opinions. The platform was created with the intention of making it easier to connect and share with family and friends via the internet. Being that Facebook was created with the intention of connecting people, the platform employs the addictive design techniques of the like button and push notifications to create a sense of social reciprocity and an addictive experience for their users. Facebook also employs the addictive design technique of infinite scrolling to encourage their users to spend more time on the platform. However, the like button and push notifications contribute more than infinite scrolling to the addictiveness of the platform.

Twitter

Twitter is a social media platform that allows users to communicate via short messages called tweets. Users are able to like, comment, and share tweets posted by themselves or other users. The platform was created with the intention of connecting its users and allowing them to share their thoughts among each other. As such, Twitter employs the addictive design techniques of the like button and push notifications to create a sense of social reciprocity which ultimately encourages users to spend more time on the platform. Twitter also employs the addictive design technique of infinite scrolling in an attempt to get users to spend more time on the platform. However, like Facebook, the addictive design technique of infinite scrolling contributes less to the addictiveness of the platform than the like button and push notifications.

Snapchat

Snapchat is a social media platform that allows users to communicate among each other by sending pictures, videos, or chat messages that vanish after they have been viewed. The platform further allows users to add filters, lenses, and special effects to their photos and videos. Snapchat uses the addictive design technique of gamification to create an addictive experience for their users. That is, Snapchat implemented a feature called “Streaks” which keeps track of how many days two users have consecutively interacted with each other. The longer the streak, the more invested users are in maintaining it, which creates a sense of accomplishment. As a result, users are incentivized to use the platform every day to keep their streaks alive. In other words, keeping a streak alive drives engagement with the platform more than the enjoyment of participating in a social experience.

Ethical Concerns

Data Privacy

Social media platforms use addictive design techniques to encourage and incentivize users to spend as much time on their platform as possible. As a result, users share a great deal of data with these platforms, and many users are unaware that they are even sharing their data. Thus, the privacy of the users using these platforms is at risk. Many social media platforms analyze the personal data of its users to tailor content for each individual user. While this may enhance the user experience, users will likely spend more time on social platforms than they intend to without even realizing it. Additionally, social media platforms have the ability to sell the data they collect from their users to third parties without their knowledge or consent, which clearly is a cause of ethical concern.

Personalization

Social media platforms use user data to personalize the content that users view on their platform. As such, users view content that is more relevant to their interests, which ultimately results in them using the platform for a longer period of time than they otherwise would. For example, a user who frequently interacts with sports related content is more likely to see that type of content being recommended to them. As a result, the user will spend more time using the platform since they are viewing content that is relevant to their interests. While this may create a more enjoyable experience for the user, social media platforms are still collecting personal information on their users with the intention of creating an addictive experience, which is cause for ethical concern.

Targeted Advertising

Similar to personalization, social media platforms use user data to serve their users with targeted advertisements. This allows advertisers to serve ads to specific demographics that likely have an interest in the product or service that is being advertised. For example, users who often interact with sports related content on social media will likely be served with advertisements promoting products and services related to sports. For users, their online shopping experience becomes enhanced since they are being served with advertisements that are likely to be of interest to them. On the other hand, advertisers get a better return on their investment by using targeted advertisements. However, there are privacy and ethical concerns since the data that these social media platforms are selling to advertisers is private.

Deception

Social media platforms use addictive design techniques to manipulate users into doing something that they would not normally do. For example, social media platforms that employ the addictive design techniques of push notifications or infinite scrolling subtly coerce their users into spending more time on their application. As previously mentioned, social media platforms analyze the personal data of its users to tailor content such that each user’s feed is personalized. That is, they have the ability to manipulate the content you see, or conversely do not see, on their platform.

Mental Health

Products and services that use addictive design techniques create an experience that users find difficult to resist, or simply put, an addictive experience. This experience is typical when using social media platforms. That is, social media platforms employ addictive design techniques that elicit dopamine responses in the users of these platforms. For example, dopamine responses are elicited when receiving push notifications or likes on a post. These dopamine responses not only create feelings of pleasure, but also reinforce these addictive behaviors such that users unknowingly become stuck in a feedback loop. Ultimately, this will lead to users overusing social media platforms, which is especially concerning for adolescents. That is, the overuse of social media can rewire the brains of adolescents to seek out instant gratification. This can lead to obsessive, compulsive, and addictive behaviors in addition to making mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, and body dysmorphia worse.

Social Media Addiction

Social media addiction is a type of behavioral addiction in which the addict has become overly concerned about social media, is driven by an uncontrollable urge to use social media, and spends so much time on social media that it impairs other important life areas. This phenomena is largely attributed to the addictive design techniques used by social media platforms that elicit dopamine responses and ultimately rewire our brains to seek instant gratification. Additionally, people who suffer from social media addiction spend more time comparing themselves to others, which can cause feelings of anxiety and depression.