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Addictive design 0:32
A 32-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 uses psychological triggers - such as variable rewards, infinite scroll, autoplay, streaks, and social validation - to encourage users to engage more than they intend and find it hard to stop. It prioritises time-on-app and engagement over 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.
