Social media giants using 'unethical' persuasion techniques to keep children hooked, psychologists warn

Social media giants are employing "unethical" psychologists to keep children hooked online for hours on end, industry experts have warned.

Fifty psychologists in the US have penned an open letter saying their profession is being used “to manipulate children for profit”.

The letter said the “persuasive design” of social networks and video games was keeping children glued to the point that studies now showed it was affecting their mental wellbeing and academic attainment.

The signatories called on the American Psychological Association, which represents the profession in the US, to condemn psychologists’ role in developing such techniques.


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/09/social-media-giants-using-unethical-persuasion-techniques-keep/


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See you all later

Most large companies use sneaky methods to make more money or to get people to spend money. The people responsible for not letting this happen to their children are their parents.

Raggamuffin wrote:Most large companies use sneaky methods to make more money or to get people to spend money. The people responsible for not letting this happen to their children are their parents.

I agree.

They should be only allowed a certain time, come off, then go back later, if allowed.

Many parents see this as a way of keeping their kids quiet, which is why they get hooked.

This kind of "subliminal" and "bait" advertising has been going on for decades...

Social Media "giants" are simply following in the footsteps of tobacco and junkfood companies..

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

This kind of "subliminal" and "bait" advertising has been going on for decades...

Social Media "giants" are simply following in the footsteps of tobacco and junkfood companies..

but it's far more advanced now
Social media knows what you like, so it targets ads more specifically to the individual.

even gaming over the years has changed, a lot of the phone games in particular are purposely designed to get you to login all the time and become addicted they use all the same techniques as pokie machines in regards to sounds, visuals and 'reward gratification'.

this is the 'dark side' of science where research into human psychology and neurology has now reached a point where we can 'invoke addiction' and be 'subconsciously persuasive' that a lot of people don't have much hope of resisting, and children in particular are even more susceptible because they don't have fully a developed 'sense of deception'. Considering this technological methodology can 'hook' a fair percentage of adults it's scary to think how effective it could be getting kids 'hooked'

I agree with Fen and Mags, if young kids are hooked on the internet blame the parents.
Subliminal messaging, catchy tunes, colour cominations, repetitive words, are all designed to draw people in and make them stay.....the inventers of the latest online game Fortnite must be a master of this....parents are saying their kids are soiling themselves and are suffering mental problems because they just CANT stop playing.

Simple tip......unplug the bloody thing and do something constructive with your kids.

I went to the Doctors this Morning, as I sat in the Waiting room I counted the Adults who where also waiting. There were 15, THIRTEEN of them were looking at Mobile Phones !

Bet their kids are hooked as well.

nicko wrote:I went to the Doctors this Morning, as I sat in the Waiting room I counted the Adults who where also waiting.  There were 15,  THIRTEEN of them were looking at Mobile Phones  !

Bet their kids are hooked as well.

Nicko, its the norm when we eat out in cafes and restaurants to see people sat at the same table completely ignoring each other and so engrossed in their mobiles they hardly even look at what they are eating and drinking.
Like robots....the world is being inhabited by robots now.

Like it’s news to find out we are all being manipulated... at every turn in every way.

“If you tolerate this, then your children will be next.”

Great line from a song and so true.

Syl wrote:I agree with Fen and Mags, if young kids are hooked on the internet blame the parents.
Subliminal messaging, catchy tunes, colour cominations, repetitive words, are all designed to draw people in and make them stay.....the inventers of the latest online game Fortnite must be a master of this....parents are saying their kids are soiling themselves and are suffering mental problems because they just CANT stop playing.

Simple tip......unplug the bloody thing and do something constructive with your kids.  

While that is the solution (like any addiction) and fortnight is a great example
it's easier said then done since it's not just taking away something they 'like' as it was when i was a kid
now it something they are psychologically addicted to (probably not drug addiction level but definitely gambling addiction level)
in the old days you might have seen a fraction of a percent(with genetic predisposition to addiction) with as bad 'withdrawal' symptoms
with the refinement of design it's now seen in double digit figures.

This is a legitimate problem, and a lot of the responsibility does fall on the developers 'ethics'.
Since this model is potentially very profitable there those that are definitely in unethical territory.

Most old school gamers hate it as the games are designed around a 'sales mechanic' instead of a 'game play mechanic'.
Plus being adults they have a fully developed 'sense of deception'

I think this 'addiction design' does need to be added to the age classification system.
it is way more harmful than animated violence, swear words or sexual references 

veya_victaous wrote:

Syl wrote:I agree with Fen and Mags, if young kids are hooked on the internet blame the parents.
Subliminal messaging, catchy tunes, colour cominations, repetitive words, are all designed to draw people in and make them stay.....the inventers of the latest online game Fortnite must be a master of this....parents are saying their kids are soiling themselves and are suffering mental problems because they just CANT stop playing.

Simple tip......unplug the bloody thing and do something constructive with your kids.  

While that is the solution (like any addiction) and fortnight is a great example
it's easier said then done since it's not just taking away something they 'like' as it was when i was a kid
now it something they are psychologically addicted to (probably not drug addiction level but definitely gambling addiction level)
in the old days you might have seen a fraction of a percent(with genetic predisposition to addiction) with as bad 'withdrawal' symptoms
with the refinement of design it's now seen in double digit figures.

This is a legitimate problem, and a lot of the responsibility does fall on the developers 'ethics'.
Since this model is potentially very profitable there those that are definitely in unethical territory.

Most old school gamers hate it as the games are designed around a 'sales mechanic' instead of a 'game play mechanic'.
Plus being adults they have a fully developed 'sense of deception'

My grandsons younger brother is addicted to online games.....and I do mean addicted.
He has been at a loose end for a year so we have sort of dragged him off to the static with us all last summer and this summer. He mopes around for a day or so, the internet connection is really bad....so the choice to play games is taken away. Within a day or so he is on the beach, playing tennis, kayaking, messing about in the dinghy, he is carefree instead of grumpy and he often never wants to go home.
I think telling a kid to unplug the internet is asking for trouble, replacing it with something they enjoy, preferably outdoors, is a lot easier, especially for them.

Syl wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:

Syl wrote:I agree with Fen and Mags, if young kids are hooked on the internet blame the parents.
Subliminal messaging, catchy tunes, colour cominations, repetitive words, are all designed to draw people in and make them stay.....the inventers of the latest online game Fortnite must be a master of this....parents are saying their kids are soiling themselves and are suffering mental problems because they just CANT stop playing.

Simple tip......unplug the bloody thing and do something constructive with your kids.  

While that is the solution (like any addiction) and fortnight is a great example
it's easier said then done since it's not just taking away something they 'like' as it was when i was a kid
now it something they are psychologically addicted to (probably not drug addiction level but definitely gambling addiction level)
in the old days you might have seen a fraction of a percent(with genetic predisposition to addiction) with as bad 'withdrawal' symptoms
with the refinement of design it's now seen in double digit figures.

This is a legitimate problem, and a lot of the responsibility does fall on the developers 'ethics'.
Since this model is potentially very profitable there those that are definitely in unethical territory.

Most old school gamers hate it as the games are designed around a 'sales mechanic' instead of a 'game play mechanic'.
Plus being adults they have a fully developed 'sense of deception'

My grandsons younger brother is addicted to online games.....and I do mean addicted.
He has been at a loose end for a year so we have sort of dragged him off to the static with us all last summer and this summer. He mopes around for a day or so, the internet connection is really bad....so the choice to play games is taken away. Within a day or so he is on the beach,  playing tennis, kayaking, messing about in the dinghy, he is carefree instead of grumpy and he often never wants to go home.
I think telling a kid to unplug the internet is asking for trouble, replacing it with something they enjoy, preferably outdoors, is a lot easier, especially for them.

I fully agree
but I bet when he goes back into the situation where he can play games, he does.

it really is quite scary how close to 'traditional' addictions it is, I know drug addicts and you could rewrite the above for them and they are fine until they are around it again.


Whats really shitty with games is it doesn't have to be this way, companies are choosing to make games that exploit the human brain for profit.

I couldnt agree more Veya....you can break the cycle but you cant stop them going back into the habit once they are able to.
Maybe prevention is better than cure when it comes to allowing kids access on the internet, ration their time and stick to it.

Everything is about profit now. Companies spend millions in advertising and making their products irresistible.
What do they care if people...especially youngsters are being mentally damaged and socially isolated as long as they, the companies, are raking in the fortune.