Cyber technology has critically transformed advertising, marketing, and commerce, leading to significant changes in business and consumer behavior. The emergence of persuasive and deceptive design elements, dark patterns in the user interface (UI), and neuro-marketing has significantly impacted consumer awareness in commercial interactions. I will discuss four cases exemplifying the application of the above concepts in online commerce, advertising, and cyber technology applied to marketing and research: Social media privacy settings, game addiction, click-farms, and Facebook’s default settings. On top of this, we will explore how computing has contributed to new understandings of consumer behavior and psychology in marketing and human-computer interaction (HCI).


Persuasive design plays a significant role in shaping online user behavior on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These platforms employ persuasive strategies to encourage content sharing and interaction among users, often exploiting psychological principles like reciprocity, social proof, scarcity, and the fear of missing out. Additionally, deceptive design practices are apparent in the complex and often confusing privacy settings featured by these platforms, which make it difficult for users to understand and control the extent of data gathered and shared about them. These deceptive practices contribute to the erosion of privacy and the accumulation of personal user data, which in turn sustains the multi-billion dollar digital advertising industry.


Game addiction is a rising problem that is exacerbated by the persuasive and deceptive design aspects inherent in video games. Many current games use tactics based on psychological theories of motivation, reward, and habit building, such as variable ratio reinforcement schedules, "skinner boxes," and "compulsion loops." These tactics affect players' attention and motivation, encouraging addictive behaviors and in-game monetization through small transactions and loot boxes. Concerns regarding the ethical implications and potential harmful consequences for users' mental health and well-being are emerging as games get more sophisticated in their use of human psychology and cyber technology.


Click-farms, bots, fake reviews, and reputation management are examples of deceptive design strategies used in the digital marketing and advertising industry. Click-farms and bots manipulate user engagement metrics to create the illusion of popularity, while fake reviews and reputation management services manipulate users’ trust and reliance on social proof to inform their consuming behavior. These deceptive practices undermine user confidence and trust in online information and commercial transactions, as well as contribute to the development of unhealthy consumption habits driven by artificial scarcity, urgency, or social validation.


Facebook’s default settings demonstrate the application of deceptive and dark patterns in UI design, exploiting users’ cognitive biases for the benefit of the platform and its advertisers. For example, Facebook’s default settings compromise user privacy by making content, activity, and personal information publicly visible and accessible. These settings rely on the fact that users may not be aware of the depth of control they have over their privacy options or may be subject to cognitive biases like status quo bias, resulting in users defaulting to the less-protective settings. Such design choices prioritize data gathering, user engagement, and revenue generation over user privacy and security. One example of Facebook’s dark patterns is its exploitation of the ‘foot-in-the-door’ psychological technique, prompting users to grant permissions incrementally, ultimately resulting in a greater likelihood of consent.

Computing has played a crucial role in shaping our understanding of consumer behavior and psychology in the context of marketing and HCI. Big data analytics, machine learning, and AI-powered technologies have enabled businesses to capture, analyze, and interpret massive amounts of data generated by consumers' online activities, providing insights into their preferences, behaviors, and attitudes. However, these technologies also raise concerns regarding privacy, surveillance, and bias, as well as the potential for these insights to be used to manipulate consumer behavior and reinforce existing power structures. As computing continues to evolve, it is crucial to consider the ethical implications of these technologies and ensure that they serve the best interests of users and society.

The rapid advancements in cyber technology have critically transformed advertising, marketing, and commerce by harnessing persuasive and deceptive design elements, dark patterns in UI, and neuro-marketing. This has led to an increase in consumer vulnerability and exploitation, as well as new understandings of consumer behavior and psychology in marketing and HCI. However, it is important to recognize the ethical implications these design elements pose and strive for a more user-centric and ethical approach to design in the digital age. As policymakers and regulatory agencies continue to grapple with these issues, raising consumer awareness and fostering transparency and accountability in design practices is key to ensure a more balanced, ethical, and sustainable digital landscape.


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