Social Media Safety / Glossary

Dark patterns

Dark patterns are design tricks in apps and websites that push you into doing things you didn't plan to, like spending more, sharing more or staying longer.

Examples include endless feeds, videos that autoplay, streaks you're afraid to lose, countdown timers, hidden "cancel" buttons and notifications designed to pull you back.

These designs aren't an accident: many apps earn more when you spend more time and attention on them.

Once you can spot the tricks, you can take back control: turn off autoplay and most notifications, set time limits and decide in advance when you'll stop.