Mind Control: How Apps Use Design Tricks To Hook You

Ever find yourself losing track of time while you’re on your phone? Well, that’s not by accident. Our favorite apps are intentionally designed to keep us on them as long as possible so tech companies can gather data from us about what we like and engage with. But what design tricks are these app companies using, and what is the impact on us??
Co-produced with Common Sense Education in collaboration with the Center for Digital Thriving at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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*What are design tricks?*
Design tricks are the ways tech companies use user interface design features to grab our attention. This can be a number of things such as; infinite scroll (scrolling that never ends)sound notifications, the heart or thumbs-up icon that appears when you like a post, the text bubble that pops up when someone is typing, and many more.

*History of UX design*
In the 90’s as a graduate student at Stanford, BJ Fogg ran the first-ever series of experiments to discover how computers could change people’s attitudes and behaviors. The idea behind Fogg’s work is that computers can be designed so that they influence the behavior of the people who use them. This is called “User Experience,” or UX, for short. Around the same time, Google was discovering if they analyzed search history, they could help with spelling errors in searches as they continued to explore this data they realized it had surprising power to predict things about us.

*The Impact of design tricks*
Design tricks are used to keep people on their devices for as long as possible so tech companies can collect user data that they can sell to third-party companies for profit. It’s a big part of how companies make their money. However, these tricks aren’t just keeping us glued to our devices; they can also heavily influence our thoughts and ideas about ourselves and the way we see the world around us. This can be especially true for younger people who have grown up having so much access to information with social media.

Selected Sources:

Timestamps

00:00 Intro to design tricks
00:58 Background
02:30 Business model driving design tricks
04:05 Mental health impacts
05:20 Steps towards accountability

#uidesign #socialmedia

[AboveTheNoise]

Do you find yourself spending more time than you want on apps? What are the design tricks that most hook you, and have you tried anything to resist the urge? Let us know in the comments below!

[mil_enrama]

I've started reading paper books more. Where I used to sit and scroll my phone, I now carry a book with me like I used to when I was a kid. Right now I'm reading A Song of Ice and Fire in German. It's so much more enjoyable than scrolling and refreshing!

I also deleted Instagram and turned off notification for everything except email.

[AdamSno]

Your channel SHOULD be getting more views

[davidshi]

There are ways to modify how you use social media to make it less addictive and more pleasant. For example, I hated the trending topics on Twitter, it was stressing me out! But I learned you can change your location on Twitter to, let's say, Tokyo. Now 90% of the topics are in Japanese, which I can't read! I also made a list of a dozen accounts that I actually care about, and mostly follow that.

[fatgnome]

The best strategy I found so far is to put all the addictive apps on an old phone. That way you can still use them when you want, but you aren't taking them everywhere. I found I use the apps way less this way. Sadly it doesn't work for websites though.

[Petch]

Am I depressed because I watch too much yt, or do I watch too much yt when I am depressed?

[Ceelvain]

Honnestly, I just wouldn't feel bad at all if the giant tech companies disappeared tomorrow.
If someone built an empire selling coke, then we realize coke is bad for you. Then the economic interest of the company is irrelevant. We ban coke, and the company either pivot or die. It's not really our problem as a society.

[alberttran]

You brought an interesting point about how social media companies want to hook users to stay longer in the app. They use the algorithm feature. Companies want to generate revenue.

If I work in the education industry, I want to persuade the superintendent to create a social media awareness education, which teaches students on how to set healthy habits online, including social media. Should we prevent children from having phones in schools? This may address the crisis on the current issue.

I heard Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok are a big risk for our mental wellbeing.

[Ceelvain]

I used to be addicted to 9gag back in 2011 ~ 2014. They really optimized the skinner effect on that one. On purpose. At some point someone pointed out it was regular. Every 4 posts there was one post that performed objectively well. The randomness was just individual preference.
At some point I installed a browser extension (leechblock if memory serve) to limit my time on it. It was just a bandaid, but it helped me do other stuff

[likebot.]

I was tooling around the description area and see a link to Jack Conte's new channel. scratches head

[jasonburguess]

Easy solution, make the app makers PAY us for the hours we waste on their products! 49hrs/ week @$15/hr =$735/week they owe you!

[jennettesaxberg]

Kids would lie about their ages so any laws that are age based won’t work