Understanding the Attention Economy: How Tech Companies Engage Kids

To ensure that children see as many ads as possible and generate more revenue, tech companies deliberately design their products to be maximally engaging, even borderline addictive. This is often referred to as the "attention economy" – design techniques that capture and hold users' attention for profit. Digital platforms aimed at kids deploy an arsenal of persuasive design tricks, informed by psychology and behavioral science, to keep young users glued to the screen. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has flagged concern over these tactics, noting that many platforms use design features intended to keep kids online longer and coming back more frequently.

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How Tech Companies Capture Children's Attention

Here are some common engagement-maximizing techniques and how they target children:

Flashy Visuals and Sounds

Apps use vibrant colors, cartoons, and cheerful sound effects to grab children's attention instantly. Young kids are naturally drawn to exciting stimuli. They focus on “flashy or salient features”, even to the detriment of paying attention to other content, according to Michigan Medicine. As a result, kids can become captivated by tapping bright objects or popping virtual bubbles on-screen—a design explicitly meant to hold their gaze.

Rewards and Virtual Prizes

Many games for children introduce reward loops. For example, kids can earn stickers, badges, coins, or "gifts" for completing tasks or spending time in the app. These token rewards are highly reinforcing for developing minds. A child quickly learns that more play earns more goodies, creating a habit. One researcher noted how her 2½-year-old gleefully exclaimed, "I got a present!" during a game, making it his favorite due to the constant rewards. Reward systems exploit the same psychology as slot machines by providing random or frequent rewards to encourage repetition (Michigan Medicine).

Auto-play and Infinite Scroll

Video platforms and social media often auto-load the next video or endlessly scroll to new content. This design removes natural stopping points, making it hard for anyone—especially a child—to disengage. For instance, when one cartoon episode ends, and a countdown for the next automatically begins, young children find it extremely difficult to stop watching. They lack the impulse control to resist the pull of "just one more." Auto-play and infinite feeds effectively “monopolise” a child’s time by default, keeping them hooked without any active choice (Michigan Medicine).

Familiar Characters and Influencers

Digital content often features beloved characters, such as TV or movie figures and popular YouTubers, that children trust. Kids form parasocial relationships with these characters, feeling like they are friends. Platforms capitalize on this trust by having the characters encourage more engagement or even purchases. One pediatric study noted that familiar characters often praise users or suggest buying upgrades. Young children are likely to obey because they love the characters. Sometimes, child influencers on platforms blur advertising and entertainment, making kids think they are simply watching a peer when the influencer is, in fact, paid to promote products. This blends marketing seamlessly into content, increasing the chances that kids stay online and spend money without realizing it (Michigan Medicine).

Social Feedback and FOMO

For older children and teens, apps leverage peer connection and fear of missing out (FOMO) to maximize engagement. Features like "like" counts, comments, and streaks (for example, Snapchat's streaks for consecutive daily messages) tap into teens' desire for social validation. If a teen knows their friends will see their posts, they feel pressure to keep checking and posting. Designers understand that social rewards and peer pressure are powerful hooks—making habitual usage likely. Tech insiders have voiced concerns about these techniques that manipulate users' behavior unethically. When aimed at minors, such features ensure that kids keep providing content, attention, and data to the platform daily (Michigan Medicine).

The Role of Algorithms in the Attention Economy

Behind these techniques are sophisticated algorithms that personalize what each child sees. Platforms like YouTube or TikTok use machine-learning algorithms to analyze a child's viewing history. They serve up content more likely to keep them engaged. If a child watches toy-unboxing videos, the algorithm feeds them similar content because it’s proven engaging—even if it results in showing materialistic or uneducational content repeatedly.

Over time, this personalization can create a feedback loop that narrows the content to whatever captures the child's attention the most (often silly or sensational videos). This happens instead of showing content that might be more appropriate or beneficial.

As UNICEF notes, algorithms tend to show kids “what sells rather than what helps [them] learn and grow.” In essence, the platforms' design and AI work together to maximize engagement metrics—time spent, clicks, and ad views—turning a child’s natural curiosity and playfulness into a stream of profit for the company.

Conclusion

As parents and educators, understanding these engagement techniques is crucial. Knowledge empowers you to help children navigate digital spaces wisely. Discussions around media literacy, critical thinking, and digital wellbeing will be beneficial. It's time to create meaningful conversations about tech use and its impact on kids.

This research was generated by ChatGPT Deep Research and verified by me. I have chosen to publish my posts in this way as it is not my intention to tell parents what to do. Instead, I aim to ensure that parents and educators can access all supporting research in an easily digestible format, allowing them to decide what's best for their children on their own.

Let's discuss in the comments section.

Dolapo Adeyemi

Author, The Tiny Tycoons: CyberMental