App anxiety: why users are extra cautious while using apps meant for daily convenience
online shopping experience increasingly frustrating. “Every app I visit has some form of dark pattern,” says the 26-year-old media and entertainment lawyer from Mumbai. “I can’t find a single safe app that lets me pay only for what I want,” he adds.
What is a dark pattern? It refers to manipulative or deceptive tricks—such as hidden fees, subscription traps and sneaking items into online baskets—that get users to perform an action they would not have otherwise done had they understood it well or had a choice. Harry Brignull, a UK-based UX (user experience) designer coined the term in 2010, referring specifically to digital platforms.
Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill Courses
Offering CollegeCourseWebsiteIndian School of BusinessISB Product ManagementVisitMIT xPROMIT Technology Leadership and InnovationVisitIndian School of BusinessProfessional Certificate in Product ManagementVisitRajpal often falls for dark patterns like false urgency, where ecommerce sites display fake scarcity to trigger quick purchases from users who tend to wait for better deals. “Only two items left in stock,” they say, and he immediately clicks “Buy Now.” “That’s what they do,” says an exasperated Rajpal. “They make you think you are being smart, but you are just dancing to their tune. I have felt stupid falling for these dark patterns despite knowing about them,” he admits.
Stupid,” “annoyed,” “cheated,” “stressed.” Over a dozen urban Indian consumers ET spoke to have used these words to describe their experience of
