Educational Systems Can Foster Digital Wellbeing by Addressing Persuasive Design Tactics
Category: User-Centred Design · Effect: Moderate effect · Year: 2025
Educational systems should actively teach users about persuasive design tactics used in digital technologies to empower them to make more autonomous choices and improve their digital wellbeing.
Design Takeaway
Designers should move beyond purely engagement-driven metrics and consider the long-term wellbeing of users, particularly by being transparent about persuasive design elements. Educators should integrate critical analysis of digital design into their teaching.
Why It Matters
Many digital products are designed to capture and hold user attention, often exploiting psychological vulnerabilities. Understanding these tactics is crucial for users, especially young people, to regain control over their technology use and mitigate negative impacts on their autonomy and wellbeing.
Key Finding
Digital products frequently use manipulative design techniques that can lead to a loss of control over technology use. Simply tracking usage isn't enough; educating users about these tactics is essential for genuine digital wellbeing.
Key Findings
- Digital technologies often employ persuasive design tactics that can undermine user autonomy.
- Existing self-control tools are insufficient for achieving holistic digital wellbeing.
- Education about persuasive design is a critical component for fostering digital wellbeing.
Research Evidence
Aim: How can educational systems be designed to promote digital wellbeing by educating users about persuasive design tactics in digital technologies?
Method: Literature Review and Conceptual Framework Development
Procedure: The research synthesizes existing literature on digital wellbeing, persuasive design, and educational strategies to propose a framework for integrating digital wellbeing education into learning systems.
Context: Digital technology use among youth, educational systems, digital wellbeing
Design Principle
Empower users through transparency and education about design's influence on behaviour.
How to Apply
When designing educational materials or digital tools for young people, incorporate modules that explain common persuasive design patterns (e.g., infinite scroll, notification strategies, gamification) and encourage critical reflection on their impact.
Limitations
The research is conceptual and requires empirical validation of proposed educational interventions.
Student Guide (IB Design Technology)
Simple Explanation: Digital apps and websites sometimes trick you into using them more by using clever design. Learning about these tricks can help you control your screen time better.
Why This Matters: Understanding how design influences user behaviour is key to creating responsible products and helping users navigate the digital world more healthily.
Critical Thinking: To what extent is it the responsibility of designers to educate users about the persuasive nature of their designs, versus the responsibility of educational institutions or users themselves?
IA-Ready Paragraph: This research highlights the critical role of educational systems in fostering digital wellbeing by addressing the pervasive use of persuasive design tactics in digital technologies. As noted by Ceccarini et al. (2025), these tactics, often employed to maximize engagement and revenue, can inadvertently undermine user autonomy, particularly among developing users. Therefore, a design project aimed at improving digital wellbeing should consider incorporating educational components that empower users to critically understand and navigate these design strategies, moving beyond simple self-regulation tools.
Project Tips
- Investigate specific persuasive design patterns used in popular apps.
- Consider how to teach users about these patterns in an engaging way.
How to Use in IA
- Use this research to justify the need for user education in your design project.
- Incorporate an educational component into your design solution.
Examiner Tips
- Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical considerations in persuasive design.
- Show how your design project addresses user autonomy and wellbeing.
Independent Variable: Educational interventions about persuasive design tactics
Dependent Variable: User awareness of persuasive design, user autonomy, digital wellbeing
Controlled Variables: Age of user, prior digital literacy, specific digital platforms used
Strengths
- Addresses a timely and critical issue in digital design.
- Proposes a novel approach by integrating education with digital wellbeing.
Critical Questions
- What are the most effective pedagogical methods for teaching about persuasive design?
- How can educational systems be adapted to incorporate this type of digital literacy?
Extended Essay Application
- An Extended Essay could explore the effectiveness of different educational modules in improving teenagers' critical evaluation of social media design.
- Investigate the ethical responsibilities of tech companies in relation to user education on persuasive design.
Source
Digital Wellbeing for Teens: Designing Educational Systems. · Interaction Design and Architecture(s) · 2025 · 10.55612/s-5002-066-001pfs