Roaming South America

Dark Patterns - the Modern Internet Part 4

January 21, 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.

Dark Patterns are found within popular sites

The previous installment was specifically about Amazon.com. But, the rest of Big Tech is a full-on dark-pattern amusement park, each with its own special brand of psychological warfare.

Let’s walk through the big ones: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, and even a surprise villain at the end.

Grab a coffee. This gets fun.

FACEBOOK (META): The Original Dark-Pattern King

Facebook practically invented modern dark patterns. Here’s their greatest hits:

1. The Fake Menu (your example)
   • Shows a neutered menu with 1 useless option
   • Hides real controls in another view
   • Makes deletion or editing take extra steps

Goal: Stop you from cleaning up your profile.

2. Infinite Scroll (bottomless pit design)

   You never hit the bottom.
   Your brain thinks “one more scroll won’t hurt.”
   Four hours later, you’re reading a post from Sheila in Ohio about her cat’s medical issue.

3. Notifications Designed to Drain Your Soul
   • “Someone mentioned you” -> no one mentioned you
   • “A friend posted in a group you’re in” ? group has 40k members
   • “You have memories today!” = emotional manipulation trigger

   Purpose: Get you back into the app at all costs.

4. Identity Deadlock

   Try deleting your account:

   • They show crying emoji faces
   • “Your friends will miss you!”
   • “Are you sure?”
   • “Are you SURE sure?”
   • “What if we deactivate instead?”

   You basically need a permit, a witness, and a legal guardian to escape.

5. Hidden Settings
   • Privacy? Buried.
   • Ad preferences? Buried.
   • Face recognition? Buried.
   • Off-Facebook activity tracking? Buried in Narnia.

INSTAGRAM: The Crack Dealer of the Attention Economy

Instagram’s UI is weaponized psychology.

1. Slot-Machine Refresh

   Pull down -> new posts appear.
   Your brain dumps dopamine like it’s playing Vegas.

2. Pseudo-Notifications

   Story rings used as fake “unread messages.”
   DM requests hidden behind invisible badges.

   You’re basically being nagged by pixels.

3. Reels Invasion

   You open IG to see a post?
   Nah.
   The app shoves Reels in your face because:

   • Reels = more time
   • More time = more ads
   • More ads = Meta drooling

   They redesigned the entire feed to force you into TikTok-mode.

4. Make Posting Hard, Viewing Easy

   Creating original content?
   Sure, here’s 18 menus.

   Consuming content?
   Here’s an endless hypnosis tunnel.

5. Algorithmic Gaslighting

   You like someone’s content?
   They disappear for weeks.

   You ignore someone else’s content?
   Instagram gives it VIP treatment.

   This isn’t incompetence.
   It’s behavior training.

The Dark Patterns of TWITTER/X: Elon’s Carnival of Chaos

Twitter had its own dark patterns, but X added new ones… accidentally and intentionally.

1. Algorithm Over Choice

   “Following” tab exists...but the algorithm keeps flipping you back to “For You.”

   It’s like a toddler grabbing the steering wheel from your hands.

2. Verified Gaslight Loop

   “Want more visibility? Subscribe.” They turned basic visibility into a pay-to-play scheme.

3. DM Gatekeeping

   Blue-checks can send you anything. Non-payers get quietly downgraded.

   This is financial manipulation of social interaction.

4. Endless Threads

   You click a tweet. And suddenly you’re in:

   • ads
   • promoted tweets
   • unrelated conversations
   • scam replies
   • burner accounts

   The actual tweet is: -> way down here?

5. Nudging Out of Chronological Order

   Twitter always hated chronological feeds. X hates them more.

   Why?

   • Chronology gives you control.
   • Algorithms give them control.

YOUTUBE: the Algorithm Cult

YouTube uses some of the most advanced behavioral dark patterns in existence.

1. Auto-Play You Can’t Kill

   You turn it off. Next week it turns itself back on.

   Coincidence? Mm-hmm.

2. Recommendation Poisoning

   Watch one video about coffee -> YouTube decides you are now:

   • a barista
   • living in Colombia
   • collecting espresso machines

   Oh wait...

   • The “Almost Ad-Free” Illusion

     YouTube Premium dangles:

     • no ads
     • offline videos
     • background play

     While regular YouTube increases ad load until you scream.
     They’re literally trying to make the free version unbearable to push you to paid.

   • Hidden Dislike Counts

     You know why.

TIKTOK: the Dark-Pattern Death Star

TikTok is built like a psychological trap for the human brain.

1. Instant Auto-Play

   You open the app -> video starts -> dopamine hits before you blink.

2. Endless Personalized Loop

   Their algorithm isn’t good. It’s terrifying.

   It knows:

   • your mood
   • your attention span
   • how long you stare before swiping
   • your emotional triggers

   And it serves you exactly the video that will keep you there longer.

3. No Pause in Scrolling

   If you pause, they assume you’re hooked.
   If you swipe instantly, they adjust rhythm.
   It’s operant conditioning.

LINKEDIN: Corporate Dark Patterns in a Suit

LinkedIn looks “professional,” but it’s a cesspool of manipulation.

1. Fake Notification Alerts

   “Someone viewed your profile!” -> No, they didn’t. -> It’s often bots or soft pings triggered by LinkedIn itself.

2. Paywalling Basic Features

   Want to see who viewed your profile? -> Pay us.

   Want to message people? -> Pay us.

   Want to not suck? -> Pay us.

3. Forced Viral Feed

   You follow industry experts? LinkedIn shows you:

   • motivational posters
   • weird AI selfies
   • crypto bros
   • MLM “entrepreneurs”

   Because viral = engagement, even if it’s garbage.

4. Identity Traps

   LinkedIn begs for more personal info:

   • add skills
   • add certifications
   • add career goals
   • add personality traits
   • add your blood type

   Okay, maybe not that last one… yet.

BONUS VILLAIN: Google

Google hides dark patterns behind a clean interface.

Search Results Deception

Ads disguised as real results. The “Ad” tag shrinks every year like it’s on a diet.

Dark Privacy Defaults

Location tracking: ON
Ad personalization: ON
Cross-app tracking: ON
Browser cookies: ON

Everything else buried 6 layers deep.

Why this matters (and why you notice it)

Let's say you build websites. You see the madness instantly.

None of this is an accident.

These companies hire behavioral psychologists to create:

• friction in the wrong places
• convenience in the profitable places
• confusion where necessary
• extra steps to discourage actions
• infinite loops to trap users

You’re not imagining it. You’re noticing what they hope most users don’t notice.

Come back next week for Part 5 of Dark Patterns - the Modern Internet