Dominique Kelly is a 2025 PhD graduate and current Research Associate in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University. She holds a BA in Rhetoric and Professional Writing and an MA in Rhetoric and Communication Design from the University of Waterloo.
Dominique is broadly interested in the cognitive and behavioural effects of digital media use. As a PhD student, her research focused on how manipulative user interface design tactics known as “dark patterns” affected users’ privacy choices on social media. Her current interests include how dark patterns undermine privacy and capture user attention on digital platforms, as well as the impact of generative AI use on students’ critical and creative thinking skills.
Dominique joined the LiT.RL team in 2020. She collaborated with the lab on projects related to supporting users’ subjective wellbeing in online communities and evaluating generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Dominique also collaborated with Dr. Rubin on several studies related to dark patterns, examining tactics that interfere with users’ attempts to delete their online accounts as well as tactics that encourage excessive social media use.
Contact: dkelly48@uwo.ca
Watch Dominique’s recent presentation at the Social Media & Society Conference (2022). See peer-reviewed pre-print.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSPbU1oh81s
Abstract
Dark patterns are user interface (UI) strategies deliberately designed to influence users to perform actions or make choices that benefit online service providers. This study examines how dark patterns are employed by social networking sites (SNSs) with the intent to deter users from disabling their accounts. We recorded our attempts to disable temporary accounts in 26 SNSs drawn from Alexa’s 2020 Top Sites list. As a result of our systematic content analysis of the recordings, we identified major types of dark patterns (Complete Obstruction, Temporary Obstruction, Obfuscation, Inducements to Reconsider, and Consequences) and unified them into a conceptual model, based on the differences and similarities within nuanced subtypes. We document their distribution in our sample SNSs, exemplifying dark UI design choices. Our findings provide empirical evidence for these pervasive – yet rarely discussed – strategies in the industry. Users who wish to discontinue using these sites – to protect their privacy, break an addiction, and/or improve their general well-being – may find it difficult or nearly impossible to do so.
Keyphrases: dark patterns, Social Networking Sites, user account disabling, user interface design
Suggested citation: Kelly, D. & Rubin, V. L. (2022). Dark Pattern Typology: How Do Social Networking Sites Deter Disabling of User Accounts? 12th International Conference on Social Media & Society, July 18 -19, Toronto, Canada https://easychair.org/publications/preprint/GD6S