Default effects in app selection: German adolescents’ tendency to adhere to privacy or social relatedness features in smartphone apps

Cognitive biases such as default effects impact on user preferences for a broad range of different choices. This paper investigates these default effects among adolescents configuring apps that either satisfy relatedness or enhance autonomy by protecting privacy. Relatedness and privacy are two innate needs that adolescents can satisfy with the use of smartphone apps. This study argues that adolescents' choice of features supporting either privacy protection or social relatedness is a consequence of default effects, so that adolescents adhere to preselected defaults. We test this assumption in an experimental survey design including four app configuration tasks with N = 280 German adolescents aged 11 to 20 years. The study finds support for default effects for privacy as well as social relatedness. Effects for further variables, particularly age are discussed.