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COSMOS
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Screen grabs: tricks keeping your kids hooked and what you can do
- Kids and teenagers are exposed to apps that use persuasive design techniques to keep them engaged and increase their use time.
- Social media and streaming platforms use 'seamless' experiences which encourage continuous engagement, while triggers like rewards, badges, likes, in-app points and virtual currencies trigger the release of dopamine in user’s brain.
- Games use variable rewards and loot boxes to keep kids engaged and they are very tempting for young people. This can be described as gambling, even though the games do not always involve real money.
- Language learning app Duolingo introduced 'Streaks' to encourage daily language learning which can also be used negatively leaving users compulsively performing the same task to avoid tarnishing their reputation.
- Parents can initiate early and ongoing discussions about the commercial intentions behind the apps and engage in their own good digital choices.
- Parents can use trustworthy resources to help families make good digital choices such as Common Sense Media, and Dark Pattern games.
- Governments should focus on 'safety by design': the safety and rights of users should be the starting point of any app or product rather than an afterthought.
- Measures such as blanket age-based bans on social media will only shield children temporarily.
- A better approach for governments and regulators is needed to focus on safety by design.
- Safety by design means the safety and rights of users should be the starting point of any app, product or service, rather than an afterthought.
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