Social Media and How ‘They’ Get You
Social media designers and developers use colors and sounds to get you to stick onto their platforms and use them more often. There is science behind their methods of color use and organization as well as “how to choose what color is best for you.” Attractive logos and site setups attract and keep people on their platforms.
I’m guilty of falling prey to these tactics and mind tricks. My three most used apps are TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter, and you may notice these apps’ logos are yellow, black, and blue — all colors included in the chart.
Aside from the attractiveness of the logos and sounds of these apps, I enjoy the ease and convenience of them as well. I use TikTok for entertainment purposes mainly. Snapchat is my main form of communication with my friends. The only people who don’t have Snapchat that I talk to are my older family members (parents, grandparents, aunt & uncle, etc.), and for them I just use text messaging. Twitter is a much different ballgame than the other two platforms. It can be more abrasive, quick, the tweets can be shared rapidly and reach thousands of people in a matter of minutes if one right person shares it. I’m fully addicted (conformed) to using these platforms daily, and for most of my day. The following graphic shows real numbers representing the time I spent on these apps in one week:
TikTok is easy to use and manage as someone who just wants to scroll endlessly and watch videos for hours. All you must do is swipe up or down to watch a stream of content from millions of people. The ease and attractiveness of the site makes people stay. The catchy songs and TikTok “sounds” keep people scrolling. Trends and popular dances or mainstream celebrities keep people coming to TikTok to watch those videos.
Snapchat’s logo is bright yellow — eye-catching — and their notifications have a specific sound — different than any other app you could possibly have in your phone. That distinct sound triggers the user’s brain and makes them pick up their phone. Their heart rate spikes and their anxiety spikes.
Twitter’s logo shows contrast with a bright blue background and a clean, white bird silhouette in the middle. The app’s notification sound is specific to the site as well. Drawing the user in again and again throughout the day — increasing screen time, increasing interactivity and therefore increasing stickiness. “Many people find the constant dings, rings, buzzes and beeps that come from their computers and cell phones impossible to ignore,” said Sammy Caiola in the Chicago Tribune.
How do they get you?
