Procedure

This task consists of two parts.

In the first part, participants form small groups and select one of the scenarios from working materials 1–3. They then consider strategies for their respective scenarios, using psychological tricks to manipulate their target groups into consuming as much of their products as possible. Using their results, participants can develop a mockup/prototype of their strategies, e.g., with the Figma tool.

In the second part, the results are presented to the whole group. After each presentation, the participants discuss ways in which individual and social resistance to the psychological tricks presented can be achieved.

The following questions can be addressed:

• Have I already encountered the strategies presented in my everyday life? If so, what experiences have I had with them?
• How can I protect my health and well-being from digital offerings that are designed to capture my attention and make me addicted?
• How can I support other people in protecting their health and well-being when using such digital offerings?
• What opportunities are there to take political action against digital offerings whose business model is based on psychological tricks that are harmful to health?

Preparation

• The titles of the individual scenarios should be written on pieces of paper so that they can be drawn at random.
• It is worth familiarizing yourself with mockup programs such as Figma in advance so that you can provide technical assistance to the participants. Figma also requires a free account, which must be set up for the participants in advance.

Notes on moderation

• One focus of this task is on the design techniques that digital services use to capture the attention of their consumers. It therefore makes sense to provide participants with colorful and diverse materials for the creative design of their posters and to encourage them to place a special emphasis on design issues when developing and visualizing their strategies.

Extension

• Under Data Detox Kit you will find a data detox kit that was developed for Glass Room London in 2017, curated by Tactical Tech and presented by Mozilla. The working material entitled “How to survive a breakup… with your phone” is a good addition to this task and can be printed out and used, for example, as an individual final reflection, depending on the time available and the focus of the task. For more information, visit <https://datadetoxkit.org/de/home>.