Big Tech, advertisers, and online platforms play the same game as casinos: they’re designed to keep users hooked long after they planned to stop. From hidden clocks to infinite scroll, these systems exploit psychological quirks to make people stay, spend, and even change their minds.

In this talk, Patrick Fagan pulls back the curtain on the dark arts of persuasion—drawing on his experience as a behavioural scientist in global marketing campaigns, and on two years of research (including joining cults) for the Sunday Times bestseller he co-wrote on brainwashing. He reveals the subtle psychological tricks that capture attention, shape decisions, and erode resilience. Most importantly, he shares practical, science-based strategies to defend focus, protect free will, and stay in control in a world engineered to hijack it.