Dark Patterns and Misleading Adds

Dark patterns and misleading ads are, sadly, a part of consumerism. You may have even been a victim of these. So, what are they? Misleading ads with dark patterns behind them are features designed to trick users into making poor financial decisions that favor the creator behind the misguiding message. This message can be small but have an impact on your decision-making. 

During Covid, I was obsessively online and constantly on TikTok. I was also a maturing teenager, so I was going through something such as puberty. One issue I struggled with was acne. So I went online to search for a solution to this problem because in this day and age, everything is superficial. Everywhere I went online, they were saying that turmeric soap and African black soap were must-haves. I went on Amazon to find this product, and when I did find the product, it said that there were 3 left in stock, so without hesitation, I bought it. It was a little pricy, but I thought it was worth it because of how little the supply for it was. This is a tactic that many of us have fallen for. A website saying Last one in stock or purposely making a buy now button more prominent and eye-catching. Businesses do this to the consumer because they expect you to not be giving the website your full attention and accidentally click on something, or they expect you to feel pressured to get something in that instance if you see that there is only one left in stock. 

Although we all have most likely fallen victim to this trap, if you educate yourself on these dark patterns and misleading ads, then you can avoid ever making this mistake again and giving into this consumer trap.