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A Longitudinal Analysis of Gamification in Untappd: Ethical Reflections on a Social Drinking Application

Jefferson Seide Molléri, Sami Hyrynsalmi, Antti Hakkala, Kai K. Kimppa, Jouni Smed

TL;DR

This longitudinal analysis investigates the ethical implications of gamification in Untappd, a social drinking app, by comparing the 2020 exploratory findings with a 2025 follow-up. Using netnography and frameworks from Ethical Software Engineering (EASE) and Caragay, the study maps five badge categories to autonomy, privacy, and well-being, revealing persistent ethical concerns despite some design tweaks. The findings show that core mechanics—badges, streaks, and location-based features—continue to encourage risky drinking patterns and social normalization, with only superficial disclaimers added. The paper argues for embedding continuous ethical reflection and governance into the software lifecycle to curb dark-pattern effects and protect user autonomy and public health.

Abstract

This paper presents a longitudinal ethical analysis of Untappd, a social drinking application that gamifies beer consumption through badges, streaks, and social sharing. Building on an exploratory study conducted in 2020, we revisit the platform in 2025 to examine how its gamification features and ethical framings have evolved. Drawing on traditional ethical theory and practical frameworks for Software Engineering, we analyze five categories of badges and their implications for user autonomy and well-being. Our findings show that, despite small adjustments and superficial disclaimers, many of the original ethical issues remain. We argue for continuous ethical reflection built embedded into software lifecycles to prevent the normalization of risky behaviors through design.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Gamification in Untappd: Ethical Reflections on a Social Drinking Application

TL;DR

This longitudinal analysis investigates the ethical implications of gamification in Untappd, a social drinking app, by comparing the 2020 exploratory findings with a 2025 follow-up. Using netnography and frameworks from Ethical Software Engineering (EASE) and Caragay, the study maps five badge categories to autonomy, privacy, and well-being, revealing persistent ethical concerns despite some design tweaks. The findings show that core mechanics—badges, streaks, and location-based features—continue to encourage risky drinking patterns and social normalization, with only superficial disclaimers added. The paper argues for embedding continuous ethical reflection and governance into the software lifecycle to curb dark-pattern effects and protect user autonomy and public health.

Abstract

This paper presents a longitudinal ethical analysis of Untappd, a social drinking application that gamifies beer consumption through badges, streaks, and social sharing. Building on an exploratory study conducted in 2020, we revisit the platform in 2025 to examine how its gamification features and ethical framings have evolved. Drawing on traditional ethical theory and practical frameworks for Software Engineering, we analyze five categories of badges and their implications for user autonomy and well-being. Our findings show that, despite small adjustments and superficial disclaimers, many of the original ethical issues remain. We argue for continuous ethical reflection built embedded into software lifecycles to prevent the normalization of risky behaviors through design.
Paper Structure (19 sections, 4 figures, 2 tables)

This paper contains 19 sections, 4 figures, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background and Related Work
  3. Gamification and Ethics
  4. Untappd Social Drinking App
  5. Research Method
  6. Exploratory Phase (2020)
  7. Analytical Approach
  8. Findings
  9. Untappd's Current Status
  10. Alcohol-by-Volume (ABV) Badges
  11. Frequency of Consumption Badges
  12. Quantity Badges
  13. Period or time of the day Badges
  14. Venue Badges
  15. Cross-Badge Observations
  16. ...and 4 more sections

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: Comparison of three Untappd badges: (a) ABV-based, (b) and (c) frequency consumption-based.
  • Figure 2: Comparison of three quantity-based badges: (a) and (b) are earned through consumption within a short period, while (c) illustrates an example of a leveled-up badge.
  • Figure 3: Examples of period-based badges.
  • Figure 4: The Gambler is a location-based badge; it has not yet been earned by the user so the application hints on how it can be unlocked.