Dark Patterns
This design keeps loading new posts so you do not have to click to see more.
What is infinite scroll?
This is the goal of many recommendation algorithms.
What is engagement?
Google, Apple, Meta, TikTok, and Microsoft are all examples of this kind of company.
What is two?
The main goal of a digital media platform.
What is to make money?
This feature uses sounds, badges, or pop-ups to pull you back into an app.
What are notifications?
This TikTok feed is customized based on what the platform thinks each user will watch.
What is the for you page / FYP?
6 out of 10 teens say that big tech companies cannot be trusted to care about what, even when it hurts profits.
What is safety?
The squad that accumulated the most amount of device-free hours.
[INSERT SQUAD NAME HERE]
YouTube’s suggested videos can lead users from one video to many others, sometimes called going down this.
What is a rabbit hole?
These tiny symbols of approval can make people keep checking whether others enjoyed their post.
What are likes?
If you watch three dog videos in a row and then see more dog videos, the platform is using this to predict what you may want next.
What is your viewing history / past behaviour?
5 out of 10 teens say they do not trust big tech companies to keep what secure?
What is their personal data?
The total number of hours people could go device-free after school.
What is six?
The Screen Smarts Program was trying to create this kind of relationship between humans and digital media.
What is empowered, responsible, and intentional?
This design makes users want to keep participating because they do not want to “break the chain.”
What is a streak?
These companies collect and sell information about people, often from many different sources.
What are data brokers?
Teens learning about how algorithms and dark patterns work can lead to feeling this.
What is suspicious / misled / tricked?
The total number of of device-free hours accumulated from all squads.
[INSERT GRAND TOTAL]
In March of 2026 these platforms were successfully sued for creating addictive platforms that impacts young people's wellbeing.
Who are Meta and Youtube?
When users realize a platform has manipulated them, the company may lose this.
What is trust?
One danger of optimizing for this is that false information / misinformation may spread quickly if it is more exciting than the truth.
What is virality?
6 out of 10 teens say they do not trust big tech companies to care about this.
What is mental health / wellness?
The total number of people who participated in the two week digital reset.
[INSERT GRAND TOTAL]
Blue light from devices suppresses the secretion of this hormone responsible for regulating the body's natural sleep cycle.
What is melatonin?