STEMM Institute Press
Science, Technology, Engineering, Management and Medicine
Are You Manipulated by Short Video Platforms? A Study on the Performance and Impact of "Dark Patterns"
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jnme.202510101
Author(s)
Xi Chen
Affiliation(s)
Department of Economics, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA
Abstract
This paper explores the phenomenon and impact of dark patterns on short video platforms such as TikTok. Dark patterns, like infinite scrolling, manipulative notifications, and disguised ads, aim at enhancing platform engagement by exploiting users’ psychology at the cost of user autonomy and well-being, which eventually leads to the benefit of the platforms, These manipulative designs harm multiple stakeholders including users, creators, advertisers and society as a whole, amplifying societal issues like privacy erosion and filter bubbles. In order to mitigate these influences and protect the users’ rights, this study advocates for regulatory measures such as cooling-off period, transparency in algorithm design which empower users to control these manipulative features.
Keywords
Dark Patterns; Short Video Platforms; Behavioral Manipulation
References
[1]Brignull, H. (2010). Dark Patterns: User Interfaces Designed to Trick People. [2]Conte, G., Quadrana, L., Zotti, L., Di Garbo, A., & Oliveri, M. (2024). Prismatic adaptation coupled with cognitive training as novel treatment for developmental dyslexia: A randomized controlled trial. Neuropsychological Review. [3] François, J., & de Souza, J. (2020). Civic Discourse in the Age of Algorithmic Manipulation. Journal of Digital Ethics, 15(3), 145–167. [4]Gray, C. M., Kou, Y., Battles, B., Hoggatt, J., & Toombs, A. L. (2018). The dark (patterns) side of UX design. In Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 2(CSCW), 1–18. [5]Lorusso, M. L., Borasio, F., Mistò, P., Salandi, A., Travellini, S., Lotito, M., & Molteni, M. (2024). Remote treatment of developmental dyslexia: How ADHD comorbidity, clinical history, and treatment repetition may affect its efficacy. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 57(3), 250–265. [6]Mathur, A., Acar, G., Friedman, M. J., Lucherini, E., Mayer, J., Chetty, M., & Narayanan, A. (2019). Dark patterns at scale: Findings from a crawl of 11K shopping websites. In Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 3(CSCW), 1–32. [7]Monge Roffarello, A., & De Russis, L. (2022). The continuous cycle: Endless scrolling and manipulative design on social media platforms. Behaviour & Information Technology, 41(5), 1009–1025. [8]Nouwens, M., Liccardi, I., Veale, M., Karger, D., & Kagal, L. (2020). Dark patterns after the GDPR: Scraping consent pop-ups and demonstrating their influence. In Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 4(CSCW2), 1–24. [9]Pariser, E. (2011). The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding from You. Penguin Books. 10] Toffalini, E., Giofrè, D., Pastore, M., Carretti, B., Fraccadori, F., & Szűcs, D. (2024). Dyslexia treatment studies: A systematic review and suggestions on testing treatment efficacy. Journal of Educational Psychology. [11] Zuboff, S. (2019). The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. PublicAffairs.
Copyright @ 2020-2035 STEMM Institute Press All Rights Reserved