Congratulations to Dr. Heather O’Brien, whose research project “Stop, Block or Scroll: Can Design Friction Support More Intentional TikTok Use?” was awarded a SSHRC Insight Development Grant in the February 2026 competition.
This two-year research project looks at how algorithmically-driven social media platforms like TikTok have created near-frictionless user experiences – think autoplay and infinite scroll feeds. As governments around the world try to limit the ever-growing usage of TikTok, there has been a lack of evidence-based design alternatives that address intentional social media usage. Dr. O’Brien will be investigating how design friction can be an alternative to bans and restrictions, by introducing interruptions into the user experience.
Collaborators on the research project include Nilou Davoudi and Bryn Shaffer.
