Dark Patterns in Indian Quick Commerce Apps: A Student Perspective

TL;DR

This study examines how Indian university students are aware of dark patterns in quick commerce apps but often fall prey to them due to cognitive overload and normalization of deceptive tactics.

Contribution

It provides qualitative insights into the awareness and behavioral responses of students towards dark patterns in Indian Q-Commerce apps, highlighting systemic issues.

Findings

Students recognize manipulative UI tactics but often succumb to them.

Temporal pressures and convenience architectures override price sensitivity.

Normalization of deceptive marketing influences user behavior.

Abstract

As quick commerce (Q-Commerce) platforms in India redefine urban consumption, the use of deceptive design dark patterns to inflate order values has become a systemic concern. This paper investigates the 'Awareness-Action Gap' among Indian university students, a demographic characterized by high digital fluency yet significant financial constraints. Using a qualitative approach with 16 participants, we explore how temporal pressures and convenience-driven architectures override price sensitivity. Our findings reveal that while students recognize manipulative UI tactics, they frequently succumb to them due to induced cognitive load and the normalization of deceptive marketing as a price of capitalism. We conclude by suggesting value-sensitive design alternatives to align commercial incentives with user autonomy in the Global South.