Roaming South America

Dark Patterns - the Modern Internet Part 2

January 7, 2026

Have you ever wondered, Why can't websites be built in a way that actually works properly, makes sense, and are truly useful? For example: Facebook (full of problems) - I'm logged in, of course, and looking at my profile page and I used the search to find, for example, all posts with "Marx" - searching for Groucho Marx quote-memes. There are 5 of them. There they are, fully visible, in all their glory, and a 3-button hamburger menu. Oh, but what is that? A menu with only one option? Does that qualify as a menu? Not in my opinion. That one option is to save the post. So, if I want to delete the post I'm looking at, I have to click the post to look at the same post in another view, then I get a menu with many options. Why can't they just put that menu on the previous view of the post? Seriously, building a working website is not rocket science.

Ha! Welcome to the modern web, where billion-dollar companies somehow still can't design a menu that behaves like...you know...a menu.

The thing is, these sites could be built sensibly. They just aren't. And it's not because the engineers don't know how, it's because the entire product philosophy of Big Web is, well, dumb by design.

Let's take a look at "Dark Patterns" <- Yes, that's a real thing

Okay, buckle up, because you're going for a ride.
Dark patterns are the sleazy little psychological tricks baked into websites and apps to make you do things you didn't intend to do - or to stop you from doing what you do want.

They're everywhere… because they work.

Here's the no-sugarcoat tour.

What Are Dark Patterns?

A "dark pattern" is a design choice that looks like UX but acts like manipulation. It nudges, tricks, or forces the user into behaviors that benefit the company at the user's expense.

Think:

• friction where you don't want it
• convenience where the company does want it
• misleading labels
• visual misdirection
• UI booby traps

Modern Big Tech uses them like seasoning. Sprinkle generously, stir, serve warm.

1. The Roach Motel

   Easy to get in. Nearly impossible to get out.

   Examples:

   • Facebook account deletion hidden behind 12 clicks and 3 warnings
   • Amazon Prime's "accidental" free trial, but cancelation requires a freaking pilgrimage through settings
   • Newsletter subscriptions with a one-click opt-in, but opt-out buried at the bottom of a 0.0001 font email footer

   Goal: Make staying easier than leaving.

2. The Disappearing Option

   Something that should be there...just isn't.

   You see this on Facebook:

   • A post shows a menu, but it only has one useless option
   • To delete it, edit it, or hide it, you have to click into a whole different screen

   Why?

   Because if deletion were easy, people would delete more.

   Deletion = less data = fewer ads = less profit.

3. Forced Loops (or: "Groundhog Day UX")

   You try to do X, and the site keeps funneling you back to Y.

   Example:

   • You try to cancel a subscription -> website keeps redirecting you to a "special offer" page
   • You try to close a pop-up -> the "No thanks" button is hidden behind "Not right now," which just starts the loop again

   This is strategic annoyance.

4. Confirmshaming

   Making you feel guilty for choosing the option they don't want.

   Examples:

   Buttons labeled:

   • "No thanks, I hate saving money."
   • "Not now, I prefer to stay uninformed."
   • "Skip - I don't care about security."

   This is manipulation disguised as "fun."

5. Visual Misdirection

   Color, spacing, and visual hierarchy used to steer you subtly.

   Classic moves:

   • Bright green "Agree" button + pale gray "Decline" text link
   • Tiny X to close the pop-up, huge "Sign up!" button
   • Scrollbars hidden so you don't know there's more content

   You think you're choosing freely.

   You're actually being herded like a sheep with a UI stick.

6. The Accidental Subscribe

   Stuff designed so you click the wrong thing by habit.

   Examples:

   • Cookie pop-ups where "Accept All" is big and "Reject All" is the size of a single pixel
   • Sites where the "X" closes the ad, but on mobile it actually clicks the ad
   • Buttons that move when you try to click them (happens on mobile ALL the time)

   This is intentional.

   UX designers know exactly what they're doing.

7. The "Are You Sure?" Gauntlet

   Doing the thing you want requires:

   • multiple confirmations
   • re-entering your password
   • captchas
   • pages of scare language

   Meanwhile, adding new features or subscribing is one click.

   Funny how that works.

8. Nagging Notifications

   The tactic: annoy you until you surrender.

   • "Allow notifications?"
   • "You sure?"
   • "Please allow notifications for full experience!"
   • "We noticed you haven't allowed notifications."

   They literally train you like a dog.

9. Hidden Fees (a.k.a. The "Oh, By the Way" Technique)

   You think something is free... until the final page.

   Examples:

   • Travel sites
   • Ticketmaster
   • Some "free" streaming services
   • Cheap flights that turn out to be "cheap + 19 random taxes and a kidney donation"

   This one's basically legal fraud with good PR.

10. Data-Sharing by Default

    Privacy-friendly settings hidden or auto-enabled:

    • Face recognition "on" by default
    • Location history "always" instead of "while using"
    • Cross-site tracking buried deep

The user must work HARD to protect themselves.

The company makes it effortless to leak your data everywhere.

Why You Hate Them (And You Should)

Dark patterns erode:

• trust
• autonomy
• user satisfaction

But they boost:

• engagement
• revenue
• data collection

Which is why Big Tech keeps using them even when users complain.

Want a funny thought?

If you built a website with these tricks, people would call you an asshole.

When Facebook does it, it's called "industry-standard UX."

Come back next week for Part 3 of Dark Patterns - the Modern Internet