The rise in dependence on social media and digital platforms has highlighted the need for ethical design in the tech sector. One key aspect of this challenge is the relationship between dopamine, the neurotransmitter that regulates the brain’s reward system, and the design of digital products. In this article, we will explore how ethical design can account for dopamine and the reward system to create more sustainable and rewarding digital experiences for users.
1. Dopamine and the Brain’s Reward System: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a fundamental role in the brain’s reward system, influencing motivation, desire, and pleasure. Rewarding experiences, such as food, social relationships, or achievements, cause an increase in dopamine levels, encouraging us to seek out these experiences again.
2. The Role of Dopamine in Digital Experiences: Digital platforms, particularly social media, are designed to leverage the brain’s reward system, encouraging users to constantly engage with the platforms. “Likes,” comments, shares, and notifications stimulate dopamine release, creating a sense of pleasure and gratification. This can lead users to seek further interactions and become dependent on digital platforms.
3. Ethical Design and Dopamine: Ethical design focuses on creating products and services that respect users' values and well-being. Regarding dopamine, ethical design can take the brain’s reward system into account, promoting digital experiences that provide gratification without encouraging dependency.
Here are some strategies for integrating dopamine into ethical design:
a. Balance Immediate and Long-term Gratification: provide users with rewarding experiences that do not rely solely on immediate rewards but also encourage achieving long-term goals and personal well-being.
b. Promote Authentic Social Interactions: encourage communication and the sharing of real experiences, rather than focusing attention on performance indicators like “Likes” and comments.
c. Enable User Control: provide users with the ability to customize notification and reward settings, allowing them to tailor the digital experience to their personal needs and preferences.
Some platforms and applications are already adopting ethical design approaches that take dopamine into account:
- Moment: an application that helps users monitor the time spent on devices and set personalized goals to reduce excessive use. Moment encourages a balance between online and offline time, promoting a more mindful and sustainable use of digital platforms.
- Instagram: in 2019, Instagram began testing the removal of “Like” counts from users' photos in certain countries. This change aimed to reduce social pressure and competition for “Likes,” instead focusing on authentic relationships and quality content.
- Duolingo: this language-learning app uses gamification to promote long-term learning and user engagement. Duolingo provides immediate rewards, such as points and badges, but also encourages steady progress and long-term commitment with personalized goals and challenges.