Spotting Deceptive Design: Understanding the Patterns Behind

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Was it yesterday? Last week? Last month?

When did your relationship with your phone become critical in your life?

More importantly - Was it a choice you made?

Everyday interaction with technology and constant accessibility brings down our choice architecture -

 our ability to choose what is good for us. Deceptive design is a tactic of creating products, interfaces, or experiences that manipulate or mislead users to achieve a desired profit- maximising outcome. One common use case of deceptive design is the use of "dark patterns" on e-commerce websites. These are user interfaces that are designed to trick users into purchasing items that they don't actually want or need. For example, a website might use a fake "limited time offer" to pressure users into buying a product, or it might make it difficult for users to find the "unsubscribe" button when they are asked to sign up for a subscription. This can result in losses to individual welfare, such as financial loss and breaches of privacy, as well as negative impacts on collective welfare and individual autonomy.

With the increasing prevalence of deceptive design in the industry, it is important to develop a mindset that allows us to recognize and resist these manipulative tactics. However, the complexity of these practices and their potential evolution over time make it difficult to fully understand and address their effects. These practices not only have immediate consequences for individual welfare, but also lead to long-term cognitive changes in our behavior on an intrinsic, individual, and social level.

At an intrinsic level, with the vast amount of information readily available from various sources, individuals are facing an overload of information. This leads to a shift in how we process, store, and value knowledge, with people becoming more reliant on the internet as a tool for memory storage. As a result, individuals may prioritize remembering the source of information rather than the information itself, leading to excessive dependency on the internet Secondly, on an individual level constant exposure to stimuli online can negatively impact an individual's decision-making capacity. Many online contents is designed to promote high levels of engagement without considering the user's well-being. Moreover, real life is too slow compared to the constant influx of content – information, prompts, and notifications taking place online, making it an apparent preference. This multiplicity and continuous switching come at the expense of sustained concentration. A recent randomized controlled trial (RCT)13 found that six weeks of engaging in an online role-playing game caused significant reductions in the grey matter within the orbitofrontal cortex – a brain region implicated in impulse control and decision-making. This ultimately makes us more susceptible to misinformation as cognitive immunity reduces overtime, making us less skeptical.

Thirdly, just like in real life, individuals form emotional connections in their online relationships and increasingly define their status in the online world through these connections. However, the fast-paced nature of online interactions often leads to low-stakes relationships that are measured by metrics such as followers or likes. Rejection in these online relationships can activate the same brain regions as rejection in real-life relationships, making individuals more susceptible to seeking instant gratification through activities such as retail therapy or indulging in junk food to alleviate temporary feelings of rejection.

There is a thin line between what businesses can build for optimal profits and features that could have intended or unintended consequences on the consumer. While regulations can address the intended consequences of these practices, it can be challenging to anticipate and address the long-term unintended consequences that may arise. How do we deal with them?

As technology continues to evolve rapidly, it becomes increasingly difficult for regulators to keep up with new products and industries. By the time that actually happens, the product, and at times, even the industry, would have morphed into something else altogether. To protect ourselves from the potential negative effects of these technologies, it is essential for society to build cognitive immunity - the ability to resist bad ideas, misinformation, and divisive ideologies. This means recognizing patterns of manipulation and deception, even as technology changes, and becoming more aware of our environment. Additionally, we must strive for

individuals to take responsibility for their own technology use and make informed decisions about how much technology to use in their lives. Building cognitive immunity will not only help us to be more skeptical of the tools we use but also the information we consume. It promotes the growth of an intellectually curious society that is not afraid to question the value it derives from technology and what technology derives from it. It is important for society to strive for a positive impact from technology in the long run. By developing cognitive immunity, individuals can distinguish between the beneficial and harmful effects of technology, without fear of utilizing its potential. 

Technology is after all only a tool; how you use it, is key.