👉 Addiction engineering refers to the deliberate design and manipulation of products, environments, or behaviors to exploit psychological vulnerabilities, thereby increasing their addictive potential. This process often involves understanding and leveraging the brain's reward system, particularly through dopamine release, to create highly engaging and reinforcing experiences. Companies may use elements like variable reward schedules, social validation, and constant novelty to keep users engaged for longer periods. In digital contexts, this can manifest as endless scrolling on social media or gamified features in apps designed to keep users hooked. In real-world scenarios, it can apply to substances, gambling, or even food and fashion industries, where the goal is to maximize consumption and loyalty while minimizing negative consequences. The underlying principle is to make the addictive behavior as pleasurable and rewarding as possible, often at the expense of the individual's well-being.
