Addictive platform features and digital addiction: Evidence from Germany

Franziska Harpenau, Serpil Taş and Lukas Wiewiorra

No 13, WIK Working Papers from WIK Wissenschaftliches Institut für Infrastruktur und Kommunikationsdienste GmbH, Bad Honnef

Abstract: Digital platforms increasingly deploy features such as personalised recommendations, autoplay, infinite scrolling and push notifications that exploit psychological biases to capture users' attention and increase time spent using digital services and devices, potentially leading to problematic behaviours. This paper examines how users perceive the influence of such designs on their behaviour and its relation to addictive behaviour, namely addictive service usage and general online shopping addiction. The study also analyses the employed self-regulation tactics, and whether any different results occur in relation to the platform type on which the features are employed. The study draws on an online survey of 3,252 consumers in Germany and compares three platform categories using a between-subjects design. Most respondents reported no noticeable effect of addictive designs on their usage time or purchasing behaviour, resulting in average effects close to neutral. However, among non-neutral responses, substantial heterogeneity emerges, with responses distributed across both extremes. The effects on usage time are more frequently perceived as prolonging, especially regarding infinite scrolling/autoplay and personalisation. However, for the shopping activity, the effects are rather perceived as decreasing, with the most neutral effect for personalisation. Moreover, evidence of heterogeneity in the effects on different platform types is found. Across both behavioural domains, respondents reporting stronger overall feature effects also exhibit higher addiction-scale values. Concurrently, most respondents indicated no necessity for self-regulation. The findings document substantial heterogeneity in perceived effects between users and suggest that for some users these features may contribute to the development of addiction.

Keywords: dark patterns; manipulation; addiction; consumer survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C83 D03 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026, Revised 2026
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-pay
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