The impact of dark patterns on user trust and long-term engagement: An ethical analysis

Sukhorukov, Oleg (2025) The impact of dark patterns on user trust and long-term engagement: An ethical analysis. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 25 (30). pp. 296-303. ISSN 2581-9615

This article presents a classification of "dark patterns," data on their prevalence, and the ethical implications of their use. The objective of this study is to identify the potential consequences of ethical and unethical UX design. The relevance of this research is driven by the oversaturation of modern websites and applications with dark patterns. The article formulates a UX designer's code of ethics and presents the findings of a large-scale study assessing the effectiveness of various patterns and user reactions to them. The study concludes that regulatory oversight of unethical design practices is necessary. It also outlines the advantages and disadvantages of dark patterns for companies. The relationship between dark patterns and the Overton window concept is examined, and a hypothesis is proposed regarding the long-term effects of widespread unethical design practices on future generations of users.