Is UX Helping Users—or Just Keeping Them Hooked?
Are We Designing for Engagement or Addiction?
How often do you open TikTok or Instagram “for a few minutes” and suddenly realize an hour has passed?
It’s no accident. These platforms are designed to capture attention, keep users engaged, and encourage return visits. But where does that leave UX?
If a product keeps people scrolling for hours, is that good UX?
If users can’t stop, is that still a “delightful experience”?
If engagement = addiction, does that mean UXers are part of the problem?
It’s a complex issue. While UX should enhance usability and satisfaction, the way we design experiences can also shape user behavior—sometimes in ways we don’t fully anticipate.
Today, we’re diving into the ethical side of engagement-driven UX and asking: Are we designing experiences that empower users, or ones that keep them locked in?
Key Insight: UX vs. Digital Addiction—Where Do We Draw the Line?
When Engagement Turns into a Problem
How UXers Can Design Responsibly
Workshop: How to build an efficient design workflow
Resource Corner: Reads and Tools for Ethical UX
Tool of the Week: Opal – Screen Time Management for a Healthier Digital Life
Key Insight: UX vs. Digital Addiction—Where Do We Draw the Line?
Not all engagement is bad. The goal of UX is to help users achieve what they need as effortlessly as possible. But when designs make it difficult for users to disengage—endless scroll, infinite recommendations, autoplay videos—it raises an important question:
Are we optimizing for usability, or just maximizing screen time?
Recent studies indicate that global screen time has increased, with individuals now spending more time on screens than previously reported. As of the third quarter of 2023, the average global screen time for users aged 16 to 64 is approximately 6 hours and 40 minutes per day. In the United States, this average rises to 7 hours and 3 minutes daily. (Source)
So, if engagement = addiction, does that mean UXers are part of the problem?
The Answer: It Depends on Intent
Not all addictive experiences are harmful. The difference lies in intent.
✅ Good UX: Keeps users engaged while respecting their time. Think Duolingo’s gentle nudges to encourage learning, or Apple’s “Screen Time” feature that helps users self-regulate.
❌ Problematic UX: Uses psychological triggers to encourage compulsive behavior without considering well-being. Think of apps that autoplay videos indefinitely or make it difficult to log out.
The key takeaway?
When Engagement Turns Into a Problem
Here’s when engagement crosses the line into unethical design:
Endless Scrolling with No Stopping Cues
TikTok and Instagram Reels make it hard to stop. When there’s no natural break in content, users lose track of time.
Autoplay That Removes Intentionality
YouTube and Netflix autoplay the next video before you’ve had a chance to decide if you want to continue watching.
Notifications That Leverage Urgency
Ever noticed how Instagram sends you “someone just posted for the first time in a while” notifications? It’s designed to trigger curiosity—even when it’s not essential.
A 2021 study titled "A Comparative Study of Dark Patterns Across Mobile and Web Modalities" discusses how certain user interface elements, known as dark patterns, are designed to influence user behavior, often leading to increased engagement and retention. However, these designs can also result in negative user experiences, including stress and digital fatigue. The study emphasizes the ethical concerns surrounding such practices (ftc.gov)
How UXers Can Design Responsibly
As a UXer, you will be asked to boost engagement. But engagement doesn’t have to come at the expense of user well-being.
Here’s how you can strike the balance:
Design for Choice, Not Compulsion
Give users control over their experience—such as the ability to turn off autoplay or customize notification settings.
Encourage Healthy Usage
Apps like Instagram now have “Take a Break” reminders, helping users disengage when they’ve been scrolling for too long.
Use Ethical Nudges
Instead of dark patterns that trick users into staying longer, use nudges that align with their goals (e.g., Duolingo reminding users of their language-learning streak).
A great example? Headspace, the meditation app, sends gentle reminders to take a break—reinforcing healthy engagement instead of endless scrolling.
Workshop: How to build an efficient design workflow
What if your design work finally spoke for itself—no more justifying, no more last-minute “make it pretty” requests?
DesignOps is the key to making that happen.
Join DesignOps: How to Build an Efficient Design Workflow and learn how to:
🔥 Make your impact clear—no more struggling to prove your value
⚡ Streamline your workflow—reduce bottlenecks and wasted time
💡 Create a thriving team culture—because great design starts with great collaboration
This hands-on workshop with Lina Reynolds gives you real strategies you can apply immediately.
You didn’t come this far to keep fixing broken workflows. Take control. Register now.
Resource Corner: Reads and Tools for Ethical UX
Book: Indistractable by Nir Eyal – How to control your attention in a world full of distractions.
Article: Decoding User Behavior: Leveraging Cognitive Biases by UXU
Video: - Designing for ethics by David Bacon
Tool: Opal – A screen-time management app that helps users reduce distractions.
Tool of the Week: Opal – Screen Time Management for a Healthier Digital Life
Opal helps users take control of their digital habits by:
Blocking distractions while working.
Helping users set mindful screen-time goals.
Providing usage insights to encourage intentional browsing.
Final Note | Engagement Shouldn’t Mean Addiction
UX is powerful—it shapes behavior, influences habits, and changes how people interact with the world. But with great power comes responsibility.
The best UX isn’t about trapping users in endless loops—it’s about creating meaningful, intentional experiences.
Let’s build better products, together.