Two sides of persuasive system design: understanding digital nudging and dark patterns and its impact on teenage girls

Persuasive system design (PSD) that guides individuals’ decision-making in a digital environment can be a powerful tool that needs to be handled with responsibility. Vulnerable user groups, such as teenagers and young adults, are proving more likely to be influenced by PSD. In light of that, we conducted a case study with 273 fourteen-year-old girls in Scandinavia to understand the recognition of teenage girls towards the two sides of PSD, namely digital nudging and dark patterns. Our findings show that the teenage girls had a hard time recognising specific features of PSD. Based on our findings, we offer two main contributions. Firstly, we offer in-depth insights into the way teenage girls recognise PSDs. Secondly, we contribute with design guidelines for designers and educators for ethical nudge design.