Quantifying the Engagement Trap: Impact of Short-form Video Recommender Systems on Users with ADHD
Short-form video platforms use recommender systems to maximize engagement through highly efficient personalized recommendations. However, the impact of these recommendations on users with ADHD compared to users without ADHD remains underexplored. Through this study, we introduce and operationalize the Engagement Trap, illustrating how recommender systems, while successfully optimizing for engagement, disproportionately disadvantage users with ADHD. This stratified study of 302 participants, recruited via the online platform Prolific, compares experiences between participants with and without ADHD. Our results show that while recommendations are perceived as relevant across groups, partici...
| Authors | Vedad Misirlic, Gregor Mayr, Elisabeth Lex |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.HC |
| Published | 7 September 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 7 September 2026 |
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