The surprising roots of 4 features that superglue us to screens : NPR

In two significant cases, social media giants were held accountable for putting children at risk. Meta and Google are challenging these decisions, denying that their platforms are addictive. Yet, over more than ten years, researchers have pinpointed elements in social media and other applications designed to capture children’s attention for extended periods.

These features act like a glue that keeps users engaged with the apps, according to cultural anthropologist Natasha Dow Schüll from New York University, a leader in this research area. “They lead us to spend more time and money on these apps, depleting our energy and sense of self.” Schüll suggests that understanding these features can help parents assess the potential harm of apps or devices for children.

In a California trial, the lawyer argued that Meta and Google crafted their apps to function as “digital casinos.” Schüll’s research supports this analogy, revealing that key social media design elements have unexpected ties to the gambling sector.

Pulled into the “machine zone”

During the 1980s and 1990s, the casino industry intentionally developed what many experts regard as the most addictive form of gambling: video slot machines. These machines resemble massive apps, displayed on large screens with attached ergonomic chairs.

Studies have shown that individuals battling gambling addiction often favor video slots. Schüll’s ethnographic research discovered that some people gamble on these machines for up to 48 hours straight. Some even resort to wearing adult diapers to avoid interrupting their gambling sessions.

Three decades ago, Schüll embarked on a mission to understand the compelling nature of these games. What features might hinder personal growth?

She spent 15 years deconstructing video slot machines, interviewing industry professionals from marketers to executives, as well as regular users.

Her research identified four key features that, when combined, keep people engaged with gambling devices. These features induce a trance-like or dissociative state, often referred to as the “machine zone” or “dark flow,” where individuals lose track of time and surroundings.

To Schüll’s surprise, these same features began appearing in phone and tablet apps, such as social media, games, and video-streaming platforms, around the early 2010s. “These aren’t typical products for children like shoes or toys,” she explains. “They form a bond with kids.”

Here are the four features that create this adhesive effect:

Feature 1: solitude

“When interaction is solely between the user and the device, there are no social cues to signal when to stop,” Schüll notes. This makes it challenging to recognize when the activity ceases to benefit the user.

Research indicates that children who frequently use screens alone in their rooms are more susceptible to developing what psychologists term problematic usage. This means they continue using an app or game even when it harms their health, such as disrupting sleep or friendships, yet still feel compelled to engage with it.

Feature 2: bottomlessness

Endless streams of videos on TikTok and YouTube, along with continuous updates on Instagram, provide a seemingly infinite supply of content that plays automatically.

“There’s no natural end point,” Schüll says, preventing users from feeling accomplished or satisfied.

The desire for more of something is never fully satisfied, and this feeling intensifies with the third feature.

Feature 3: speed

Schüll’s review of gambling industry research found that faster gameplay on video slots leads to longer gambling sessions. She suggests that speed has a similar impact on social media and video-streaming apps, making it difficult for users to disengage.

“The rapid feedback creates a sense of merging with the screen, blurring the line between user and device,” Schüll explains. “The speed draws you into this flow state.”

Technological advancements like high-speed internet and infinite scroll have increased the speed at which users can access new content on social media.

Feature 4: teasing, or giving you almost what you want

The final and potentially most crucial component, according to Jonathan D. Morrow, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist at the University of Michigan, is how apps choose content for users.

Typically, AI software determines what users are seeking. “Even if you’re unsure of what you want, the app can figure it out,” Morrow states.

However, the app withholds the desired reward: “Apps don’t provide it directly. They offer something close, and after a few clicks, the algorithm offers something even closer.”

Rarely, if ever, do users receive exactly what they’re seeking. “They provide just enough to maintain engagement, keeping users interacting with the app for as long as possible,” he adds.

This teasing creates the anticipation of eventually obtaining the desired outcome. “You’ll spend all day trying to achieve that next big reward, always believing there’s a possibility you’ll finally get it,” Morrow says.

A recipe for overuse

When apps combine these four elements—solitude, bottomlessness, speed, and teasing—they form a formula that promotes excessive use for nearly everyone, according to Schüll. She sometimes challenges her students at New York University to assess websites or apps using these criteria to determine their potential harm.

However, this formula is especially detrimental to children, she concludes: “It’s a harsh setup, especially for kids who are more vulnerable.” Schüll and Morrow agree that children require assistance in regulating their app use and protection from harmful design practices.

Michaeleen Doucleff holds a Ph.D. in chemistry and is an experienced science journalist, having previously worked for NPR. She authored the parenting book Dopamine Kids.