Apps and Algorithms Designed to Hook Young Users

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

• Flashy visuals and sounds: Apps use vibrant colors, cartoons, and cheerful sound effects to instantly grab children’s attention. Young kids are naturally drawn to novel, exciting stimuli and will focus on “flashy or salient features” even to the detriment of paying attention to other content, according to Michigan Medicine. The result is that kids can be entranced by tapping bright objects or popping virtual bubbles on-screen – a design deliberately meant to hold their gaze.

  
  

• Rewards and virtual prizes: Many games for children introduce reward loops – e.g. earning 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 her 2½-year-old gleefully shouting “I got a present!” during a game – immediately making it his favourite, due to the constant rewards​.) Such reward systems exploit the same psychology as slot machines, giving random or frequent rewards to encourage repetition. (Michigan Medicine)

  
  

• Auto-play and infinite scroll: Video platforms and social media feeds 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 example, when one cartoon episode ends and a countdown automatically begins for the next, 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 thus effectively “monopolise” a child’s time by default, keeping them hooked without active choice. (Michigan Medicine)

  
  

• Familiar characters and influencers: Digital content often features beloved characters (like TV or movie characters, popular YouTubers, etc.) that children trust. Kids form parasocial relationships with these characters – they feel like friends. Platforms take advantage of this trust by having the characters encourage more engagement or even purchases. One pediatric study noted that familiar characters would appear to praise the user or suggest buying upgrades, which young children were likely to obey precisely because they love the character​. In other cases, child influencers on platforms blur advertising and entertainment, making kids think they’re just watching a peer, when actually the influencer is paid to promote products. All of this blends marketing seamlessly into content, increasing the chances that kids stay online and spend money without realising it. (Michigan Medicine)

  
  

• Social feedback and FOMO: For older children and teens, apps leverage peer connection and fear-of-missing-out to maximise engagement. Features like “like” counts, comments, and streaks (for example, Snapchat’s streaks for consecutive daily messages) tap into adolescents’ desire for social validation. If a teen knows their friends will see their posts or if breaking a streak loses their progress, they feel pressure to keep checking and posting. Designers know that social rewards and peer pressure are powerful hooks – they create habitual usage. Indeed, tech insiders have voiced concern that these techniques manipulate users’ behavior unethically​. When aimed at minors, such features ensure that kids keep providing content, attention, and data to the platform on a daily basis. (Michigan Medicine)

Behind these techniques are sophisticated algorithms that personalise what each child sees. Platforms like YouTube or TikTok use machine-learning algorithms to analyse a youngster’s viewing history and then serve up more of what will likely keep them watching​michiganmedicine.org. If a child watches toy-unboxing videos, the algorithm will keep feeding them similar content because it’s proven engaging – even if that means showing the child materialistic or uneducational content repeatedly.

Over time, this personalisation can create a feedback loop that narrows the content to whatever grabs the child’s attention most (often silly or sensational videos), rather than what 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 platform’s design and AI work together to maximise engagement metrics – time spent, clicks, ad views – turning a child’s natural curiosity and playfulness into a stream of profit for the company.

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, but rather, to ensure that parents and educators have access to all supporting research in an easily digestible way, so that they can decide what's best for their children on their own.

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Dolapo Adeyemi

Author, The Tiny Tycoons: CyberMental