Internet Addiction and Ethics from the lens of a Software Engineer

What

Neither the WHO nor the APA has officially classified the use of the internet and services on the internet as an addiction. But, excessive use of the internet can now be accepted as an addiction for several reasons

• Excessive internet usage follows the patterns of other behavioral addictions like cigarettes and gambling.
• Neuroimaging studies have shown that users with internet addiction have the same areas in their brains active as those with recognized behavioral and substance addictions (link)

Another issue with the word internet addiction is that, despite our use of it to refer to a single type of addiction, it appears to contain numerous distinct addictions. The internet is merely a platform for other activities and services. It's important to keep in mind the different services that can cause an addiction

• Games
• Social Media
• Gambling
• Shopping
• Pornography

I will mostly try to highlight the addictions related to Social Media, Shopping in this blog and maybe even touch base with Games and Gambling. 

First, let us see the ethical issues with online services. These primarily stem from Dark Patterns. Dark patterns are elements of internet interface design that are purposely designed to push or manipulate users into doing things they would not do under regular conditions. These strategies, which are based on considerable behavioral psychology research, boost the website's business and traffic but are unethical to implement.

WHY

Let's dive into the ethical aspects of the internet with some examples of Dark Patterns

• Making a service/subscription really easy to sign up for but really hard to cancel
• Sneaking in ads after every few clicks 
• Sneaking in other products/services along with our intended service
• Tricking users into sharing more information than required
• Claiming a service is free until the user uses it and at the end is faced with a paywall
• Facilitating a sense of scarcity so the user can purchase asap
• Facilitating a sense of fear of missing out

The tactics used by online services are plentiful. While these aren't necessarily the reasons behind internet addiction, it is the other side of the same coin.

A recent Princeton University study (link) combed through 53,000 product pages from 11,000 shopping websites to characterize and quantify the prevalence of dark patterns. Here's what they found:

• There were 1,818 occurrences of dark patterns on shopping sites, representing 15 different types of dark patterns.
• The patterns were found on 1,254 of the 11,000 shopping websites, accounting for around 11.1 percent.
• A total of 234 dark patterns were discovered across 183 websites.

Coming to internet addiction, particularly in social media, humans crave social connection and thrive in these environments while seeking approval from others. When you share a post, it is expected that people will visit it, comment on it, and like it.

Social media has evolved into a way of life rather than a place where users may share details about their everyday lives with their followers, friends, and family. People frequently seek social opportunities by remaining "engaged" due to the availability/need of having to interact with others. When this accessibility is lacking, it can lead to feelings of loneliness and exclusion, commonly known as FOMO, or Fear Of Missing Out.

We must accept that social media technology will continue to evolve. This can be advantageous to many people and businesses if applied correctly. There is no doubt that social media can offer people a voice or enable others to express themselves, raise awareness, and connect with family and friends.

However, current technology is ripe for both overuse and misuse as a result of behaviors such as disengagement from face-to-face interaction, distractions from school or job, and even unsafe behaviors like recording or texting while driving.

HOW

To maintain this constant level of stimulation, smartphones have literally become an extension of ourselves, where we now almost always have something so easily accessible in our hand or pocket that it has fundamentally changed how people typically interact even in public places such as restaurants or even in our own homes.

Can you recall the last time you felt anxious because you misplaced or thought your phone was lost? This is a common occurrence among many of us, and it has even given rise to a new term, Nomophobia, which is the feeling of not having any tech devices around. (link)

Many smartphones, including iPhones and Androids, feature built-in Screen Time controls that allow us to limit the time you spend using specific apps. This will also allow us to view how many minutes or hours we've spent on each app.

If practical, try to interact with friends and family outside of social media. The internet has given people the impression that they are connected to others by seeing photographs and videos of their lives uploaded online, but face-to-face engagement provides a different level of connection.

Finally, imagine a game of Tug of war. On one side we have all the addictive factors of social media and on the other side, we have all the dark patterns and unethical practices of online services. The users are the red tag in the center being tugged on each side. The safest place to be is in the middle and resist both these phenomena.