Algorithmic Addiction: The Dark Pattern Psychology of Social Media
The Dark Pattern Psychology of Social Media
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40 chapters
~71 hours total
303 pages
1
Front Matter
5 chapters2
Part I: Foundations
7 chapters- Part I: The Hook
- Chapter 1: The Attention Economy — What Your Eyes Are Worth
- Chapter 2: The Long History of Persuasion Technology
- Chapter 3: What Is Algorithmic Addiction?
- Chapter 4: The Business Model of Engagement: How Attention Becomes Revenue
- Chapter 5: Your Brain Online — A Primer on Cognitive Vulnerabilities
- Chapter 6: Who Builds These Systems?
3
Part II: Neuroscience of the Scroll
8 chapters- Part II: Neuroscience of the Scroll
- Chapter 7: Dopamine Loops: The Neurochemistry of Engagement
- Chapter 8: Reward Prediction Error: How Your Brain Learns to Want the Scroll
- Chapter 9: Notifications as Triggers — The Architecture of Compulsive Checking
- Chapter 10: Social Rewards and the Approval Economy — Why Likes Feel Like Love
- Chapter 11: Fear of Missing Out: The Social Anxiety Algorithm
- Chapter 12: Endless Feeds, Autoplay, and the Abolition of Stopping Cues
- Chapter 13: Memory, Attention, and the Cognitive Cost of Scrolling
4
Part III: Dark Patterns Taxonomy
9 chapters- Part III: Dark Patterns Taxonomy
- Chapter 14: What Are Dark Patterns? A Taxonomy of Digital Manipulation
- Chapter 15: Cognitive Biases: A Field Guide for Platform Designers
- Chapter 16: Loss Aversion and the Streak Mechanic
- Chapter 17: Social Proof and Manufactured Consensus
- Chapter 18: Reciprocity, Commitment, and the Psychology of Obligation
- Chapter 19: Parasocial Relationships and the Influencer Economy
- Chapter 20: The Outrage Machine: How Anger Became the Algorithm's Fuel
- Chapter 21: Personalization, Filter Bubbles, and the Algorithmic Self
5
Part IV: Platform Case Studies
9 chapters- Part IV: Platform Case Studies
- Chapter 22: How Recommendation Algorithms Work: A Technical Introduction
- Chapter 23: TikTok's For You Page: The Most Powerful Recommendation System Ever Built
- Chapter 24: Facebook's News Feed: A Decade of Optimization Against Users
- Chapter 25: Instagram and the Comparison Trap
- Chapter 26: YouTube's Recommendation Engine and the Radicalization Pipeline
- Chapter 27: Snapchat: Ephemerality, Streaks, and Teen Psychology
- Chapter 28: Gamification: When Social Media Borrowed from the Casino
- Chapter 29: A/B Testing Your Mind: Platforms as Psychological Laboratories
6
Part V: Societal & Cultural Impact
7 chapters- Part V: Societal and Cultural Impact
- Chapter 30: Mental Health and Social Media: Navigating the Evidence
- Chapter 31: Adolescent Identity Formation in the Age of the Algorithm
- Chapter 32: Political Polarization and Algorithmic Amplification
- Chapter 33: Misinformation and Engagement Optimization: The Epistemic Crisis
- Chapter 34: The Creator Economy: When the Algorithm Becomes Your Boss
- Chapter 35: Global Disparities: How Algorithmic Addiction Hits Different Around the World
7
Part VI: Resistance, Reform & Agency
6 chapters- Part VI: Resistance, Reform, and Agency
- Chapter 36: Digital Minimalism — Reclaiming Intentional Technology Use
- Chapter 37: Cognitive Defense and Inoculation — Training Resistant Minds
- Chapter 38: Regulatory Approaches — What Government Can and Cannot Do
- Chapter 39: Design Ethics and Humane Technology: Building Differently
- Chapter 40: Your Personal Manifesto — Digital Agency in an Algorithmic World
8
Part VII: Capstone
4 chapters9
Appendices
7 chapters- Appendix A: Research Methods Primer — How to Read Social Media Research
- Appendix B: Key Studies Summary — 50 Essential Studies
- Appendix C: Historical Timeline — From Penny Press to Algorithmic Feeds (1833–2025)
- Appendix D: Templates and Worksheets — Practical Tools for Digital Agency
- Appendix E: Glossary — 200+ Terms Defined
- Appendix F: Answers to Selected Exercises
- Appendix G: Bibliography — Sources and Further Reading
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