Addictive Design and Market Power Forschungs-Mittwoch #202

Much has been discussed about the addictiveness of social media platforms. But the conversation largely blames social media addiction on individuals instead of on where the responsibility actually rests: with Big Tech. In this talk, U.S.-based researcher Michelle Nie examines how technology corporations deliberately deploy dark patterns, persuasive design elements, and increasingly sophisticated AI-powered recommender systems to maximize user engagement at the expense of well-being. Critical questions will be explored such as:

• How do technology platforms exploit psychological vulnerabilities to maintain market dominance, and what is the role of ‘algorithmic addiction by design’ in it?
• Why are children and adolescents particularly at risk from dark patterns and addictive design?
• How might antitrust enforcement and digital regulation realign incentives toward healthier design?

Moderator:  Dr. Anna Antonakis, Senior Researcher Social Design.