News
Where you've already seen this
Addictive design shows up in the culture before it shows up in a score — a film scene, a headline, a viral post. Each article below starts from something you've actually encountered, names the real design mechanism behind it, and links out to the research, media, and alternatives that back it up.
Featured
The Meta Trial: What the Lawsuits Say About the Feed You're Already In
A coalition of state attorneys general and a Los Angeles jury have reached the same conclusion DarkBadge's scoring rubric did — independently, and mostly about Instagram.
The Meta Lawsuits and Bottomlessness: The Feed the Jury Named
Infinite scrolling wasn't a side note in the March 2026 verdict. It was one of the three mechanisms the jury cited by name.
Why this matters
The featured NPR piece is the story that inspired DarkBadge itself: slot machine design, rebuilt for your phone. The video in our second pick makes the gambling connection clear, and shows how the same tricks ended up in the apps you use every day. DarkBadge keeps looking for the latest research on design and how it affects people.
The Incredible Staying Power of Candy Crush Saga
Aug 14, 2026Fourteen years in, Candy Crush Saga still pulls 80 million players a month. DarkBadge scores why it never had to slow down.
Candy Crush vs. Duolingo: Two Freemiums, One Toolkit
Aug 14, 2026Both take your money and your time. Only one claims it's good for you. DarkBadge scores them on the identical rubric.
Battling Screen Addiction With 3 Simple Habits
Jul 30, 2026Pre-internet habits — curiosity, presence, and a one-second pause — as a practical way to break the screen cycle.
Screen Time Isn't One Thing — a Study on Adolescent Risk Profiles
Jul 30, 2026A clustering study of 158 adolescents in psychiatric care found three distinct digital-use risk profiles — not one uniform "too much screen time" pattern.
The Slot Machine Design Hiding Inside Your Phone
Jul 30, 2026NPR traces the pull-to-refresh gesture back to casino slot machines, and to a trance state researchers call the machine zone.
The Social Dilemma
Jun 29, 2026Former tech insiders on how engagement mechanics were deliberately designed to capture attention.
Toy Story 5 Series
Toy Story 5
Jun 29, 2026A child trades her toys for a screen. DarkBadge scores the apps that won.
Toy Story 5 and Teasing: Why Bonnie Keeps Checking
Jun 29, 2026Lilypad promises popularity and delivers uncertainty. That gap is the mechanism.
Toy Story 5 and Bottomlessness: The Toy Has an Ending, the Screen Doesn't
Jun 29, 2026Bounded play requires a child's imagination to generate content. Lilypad does it automatically, forever.
Toy Story 5 and Speed: Why Toys Feel Broken After Lilypad
Jun 29, 2026Lilypad responds instantly. After enough of that, a toy that requires imagination to generate the story feels like a screen that won't load.
Toy Story 5 and Self-Regulation: Why Bonnie Can't Stop
Jun 29, 2026The film doesn't show a child who won't stop. It shows a child who can't — and a device designed to produce exactly that outcome.
Toy Story 5 and Social Pressure: The Peer Group Moved to the Screen
Jun 29, 2026The toys didn't lose because they were boring. They lost because Bonnie's friends aren't in the toy box.