Algorithmic Addiction
The Dark Pattern Psychology of Social Media
How platforms exploit psychology, dopamine loops, engagement maximization, and design manipulation — and what we can do about it
A Comprehensive Textbook
First Edition
About This Text
This textbook was developed for courses in digital psychology, media studies, technology ethics, and social science research methods. It is equally suitable for independent learners, educators developing digital literacy programs, and design practitioners seeking to understand the ethical dimensions of their work.
Subject Areas
- Psychology of Technology
- Media Studies and Communication
- Platform Economics
- Design Ethics
- Digital Literacy
Pedagogical Features
- 40 chapters across 6 parts
- 25–40 exercises per chapter (⭐ through ⭐⭐⭐⭐ difficulty)
- 20–25 self-assessment quiz questions per chapter
- Two case studies per chapter
- Three running examples woven throughout all 40 chapters
- Python code examples (Chapters 20, 22–29)
- 200–250 term glossary
- ~400–500 APA 7th bibliography
- 3 capstone projects
- Complete answers to selected exercises
A Note on Perspective
This textbook neither condemns social media wholesale nor excuses the harms caused by specific design choices. The intellectual stance throughout is: evidence-first, structurally-aware, and practically-oriented. We take seriously both the genuine value platforms provide and the genuine costs they impose — and we try to explain both with rigor and honesty.
The question we return to in every chapter is not "Is social media good or bad?" but rather: "What specific mechanisms produce what specific effects, and what follows from that understanding?"
All corporate case studies reflect publicly available information as of 2024. Velocity Media is a fictional company created for pedagogical purposes. Maya is a composite character drawn from documented patterns in adolescent social media research. Neither represents any real individual.