Algorithmic Addiction: The Dark Pattern Psychology of Social Media

The Dark Pattern Psychology of Social Media

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40 chapters ~71 hours total 298 pages

1

Part I: Foundations

7 chapters

• Part I: The Hook
• Chapter 1: The Attention Economy — What Your Eyes Are Worth
• Chapter 2: The Long History of Persuasion Technology
• Chapter 3: What Is Algorithmic Addiction?
• Chapter 4: The Business Model of Engagement: How Attention Becomes Revenue
• Chapter 5: Your Brain Online — A Primer on Cognitive Vulnerabilities
• Chapter 6: Who Builds These Systems?

2

Part II: Neuroscience of the Scroll

8 chapters

• Part II: Neuroscience of the Scroll
• Chapter 7: Dopamine Loops: The Neurochemistry of Engagement
• Chapter 8: Reward Prediction Error: How Your Brain Learns to Want the Scroll
• Chapter 9: Notifications as Triggers — The Architecture of Compulsive Checking
• Chapter 10: Social Rewards and the Approval Economy — Why Likes Feel Like Love
• Chapter 11: Fear of Missing Out: The Social Anxiety Algorithm
• Chapter 12: Endless Feeds, Autoplay, and the Abolition of Stopping Cues
• Chapter 13: Memory, Attention, and the Cognitive Cost of Scrolling

3

Part III: Dark Patterns Taxonomy

9 chapters

• Part III: Dark Patterns Taxonomy
• Chapter 14: What Are Dark Patterns? A Taxonomy of Digital Manipulation
• Chapter 15: Cognitive Biases: A Field Guide for Platform Designers
• Chapter 16: Loss Aversion and the Streak Mechanic
• Chapter 17: Social Proof and Manufactured Consensus
• Chapter 18: Reciprocity, Commitment, and the Psychology of Obligation
• Chapter 19: Parasocial Relationships and the Influencer Economy
• Chapter 20: The Outrage Machine: How Anger Became the Algorithm's Fuel
• Chapter 21: Personalization, Filter Bubbles, and the Algorithmic Self

4

Part IV: Platform Case Studies

9 chapters

• Part IV: Platform Case Studies
• Chapter 22: How Recommendation Algorithms Work: A Technical Introduction
• Chapter 23: TikTok's For You Page: The Most Powerful Recommendation System Ever Built
• Chapter 24: Facebook's News Feed: A Decade of Optimization Against Users
• Chapter 25: Instagram and the Comparison Trap
• Chapter 26: YouTube's Recommendation Engine and the Radicalization Pipeline
• Chapter 27: Snapchat: Ephemerality, Streaks, and Teen Psychology
• Chapter 28: Gamification: When Social Media Borrowed from the Casino
• Chapter 29: A/B Testing Your Mind: Platforms as Psychological Laboratories

5

Part V: Societal & Cultural Impact

7 chapters

• Part V: Societal and Cultural Impact
• Chapter 30: Mental Health and Social Media: Navigating the Evidence
• Chapter 31: Adolescent Identity Formation in the Age of the Algorithm
• Chapter 32: Political Polarization and Algorithmic Amplification
• Chapter 33: Misinformation and Engagement Optimization: The Epistemic Crisis
• Chapter 34: The Creator Economy: When the Algorithm Becomes Your Boss
• Chapter 35: Global Disparities: How Algorithmic Addiction Hits Different Around the World

6

Part VI: Resistance, Reform & Agency

6 chapters

• Part VI: Resistance, Reform, and Agency
• Chapter 36: Digital Minimalism — Reclaiming Intentional Technology Use
• Chapter 37: Cognitive Defense and Inoculation — Training Resistant Minds
• Chapter 38: Regulatory Approaches — What Government Can and Cannot Do
• Chapter 39: Design Ethics and Humane Technology: Building Differently
• Chapter 40: Your Personal Manifesto — Digital Agency in an Algorithmic World

7

Part VII: Capstone

4 chapters

• Part VII: Capstone Projects
• Capstone Project 1: Auditing Your Own Digital Behavior
• Capstone Project 2: Dark Pattern Analysis in the Wild
• Capstone Project 3: Designing a Humane Feature

8

Appendices

7 chapters

• Appendix A: Research Methods Primer — How to Read Social Media Research
• Appendix B: Key Studies Summary — 50 Essential Studies
• Appendix C: Historical Timeline — From Penny Press to Algorithmic Feeds (1833–2025)
• Appendix D: Templates and Worksheets — Practical Tools for Digital Agency
• Appendix E: Glossary — 200+ Terms Defined
• Appendix F: Answers to Selected Exercises
• Appendix G: Bibliography — Sources and Further Reading

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