this post was submitted on 23 Dec 2025
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Human brains are all susceptible to pattern triggers, although the exact parameters for the trigger vary from person to person. This is essential for survival of our species - among other things, it's why most parents keep taking care of even difficult children who make their lives miserable.
Game and social media companies have really fine-tuned the methods to trigger the most money spending among the highest percentage of the population. Not spending on value, but spending compulsively and addictively. And like addicts to all things, most victims will fight tooth and nail against the idea their behavior was influenced by the algorithm, which makes it really difficult to get momentum for government regulations.
I have some hope from how our society has developed better methods for preventing and responding to opioid addiction. Still a long ways to go, but addiction is more widely recognized as a disease and not a personal failing; access restrictions have reduced the rate of new people becoming addicted; the most effective treatments like Suboxone are gaining traction over the preachy "just be miserable without drugs" programs. Similarly with overeating (food addiction) and the new weight loss drugs - an effective treatment existing has really opened people's eyes to systemic changes being more effective than preachy moralizing "just eat less".
So hopefully we will get laws that are enforced against predatory dark patterns. Someday.