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Addictive design 1:11
A 71-second explainer of Addictive design, narrated over the same demo you can try yourself.
Try the interactive Addictive design demo
What this video covers
Addictive design is the deliberate engineering of compulsion - stacking psychological hooks like variable rewards, infinite scroll, autoplay, streaks and social validation so people use a product more than they mean to and find it hard to stop. It optimises for time-on-app and engagement at the expense of the user's own goals and wellbeing.
Stacked up - endless feed, autoplay, a refresh that might reward you, a streak you mustn't break - the pull to keep going is relentless, because every natural place to stop has been removed on purpose. Switch on the humane version and the stopping points return: you're "caught up", updates batch, the streak doesn't punish you. The difference isn't the features - it's whether they serve your goals or just your time.
