You've felt that tiny flash of irritation. You are reading an article about the "Top 50 Most Beautiful National Parks" or maybe a recipe that seems suspiciously long. You get to the bottom of what feels like three paragraphs of actual content, and there it is. A shiny, often blue or green rectangle. It tells you to click the next button.
It’s a trap. Or is it?
Actually, it's a battleground. For users, it's often the hallmark of a "slideshow" or "listicle" designed to farm pageviews. For publishers and developers, it's a tool for engagement, data segmenting, and—let's be real—ad impressions. But the psychology behind why we actually click it, even when we know we're being slightly manipulated, is a fascinating dive into how the human brain processes information and curiosity loops.
The Architecture of the Click
Digital design isn't accidental. When a developer places a requirement to click the next button, they are leaning on a concept called "progressive disclosure." In a perfect world, this means giving the user only the information they need at that exact moment so they don't get overwhelmed. Think about a complicated tax software or a multi-step checkout process on Amazon. You wouldn't want all 400 fields on one page. That would be a nightmare.
Instead, they break it up. You enter your name, then you move forward.
But there is a dark side to this. UX researchers often refer to "dark patterns," where design is used to trick users into doing something they might not otherwise do. The most famous example is the multi-page article. You know the ones. Each page has about 100 words of text and 14 advertisements. By making you click the next button, the site refreshes the ads, doubling or tripling their revenue for a single piece of content.
It’s annoying. Yet, we do it. Why?
The "Zeigarnik Effect" is a psychological phenomenon where people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. When a story is cut off at a cliffhanger and you see that button, your brain experiences a "loop" that remains open. You have to close it. You need to know if the 14th National Park is actually better than the 15th.
When It’s Good: Functional Navigation
Not every instance of this design is a cash grab. In fact, in complex web applications, it’s a necessity.
Take a look at Google’s search results. While they’ve toyed with "infinite scroll" over the years, many users still prefer the paginated approach. Why? Because it gives a sense of place. If you're on page 3, you know you've looked at roughly 30 results. It provides a mental "bookmark."
The Evolution of the Interaction
Historically, the web was built on the idea of pages. It’s right there in the name: "Webpage." In the early 1990s, the concept of a "Next" link was simply how you moved through a linear document. As we moved into the 2010s, "Infinite Scroll"—pioneered by social media sites like Facebook and Twitter (now X)—became the trendy alternative.
The idea was to remove friction. Just keep scrolling. Never stop.
However, a weird thing happened. Users started getting "scroll fatigue." When there is no end in sight, the brain gets tired. The click the next button interaction, while requiring more physical effort, actually provides a "micro-reward." You clicked. You finished a section. You moved on.
Accessibility Matters More Than You Think
Here is a detail most people miss: Accessibility. For people using screen readers or those with certain motor impairments, an infinite scroll can be a disaster. The "footer" of a website—where the contact info and legal links live—becomes impossible to reach because the page keeps growing.
A clearly labeled button provides a "focus point." It’s a predictable element that a keyboard user can tab to easily. This is why many high-end enterprise platforms, like Salesforce or Jira, still rely heavily on paginated views. It’s about control.
The Business of the Click
Let’s talk numbers, but keep it grounded.
Digital advertising is often sold on CPM (Cost Per Mille), which means the advertiser pays for every 1,000 times an ad is loaded. If a publisher can turn one reader into ten pageviews by making them click the next button ten times, they have effectively increased their potential revenue by 1,000%.
It’s a volume game.
This led to the "Clickbait Era" of the mid-2010s. Sites like Buzzfeed or ViralNova mastered the art of the multi-page slideshow. But Google caught on. The search giant’s algorithms, particularly the "Helpful Content" updates, began to penalize sites that forced users to click excessively just to read a simple story.
Modern SEO isn't just about keywords anymore; it's about "Dwell Time" and "Bounce Rate." If a user hits a page, sees a "Next" button that looks like an ad, and leaves immediately, the site's ranking plummets.
Real World Examples of Design Friction
Think about a standard setup for a new iPhone.
Apple is the king of the "Next" button. They use it to guide you through a very complex series of decisions: Wi-Fi, FaceID, Apple Pay, Siri, Analytics. If they put all of those toggles on one screen, you’d probably throw the phone out a window.
By using a sequential flow, they reduce "Cognitive Load."
- Focus: One task at a time.
- Momentum: Each click feels like progress.
- Completion: The final "Get Started" feels like a victory.
This is the "Wizard" design pattern. It's used in software installation, medical intake forms, and flight bookings. In these contexts, you aren't being exploited; you're being guided.
Common Misconceptions
People often think that "Next" buttons are a sign of an old website. That’s just not true. While "Single Page Applications" (SPAs) are popular in 2026, many of the most sophisticated AI interfaces use a step-by-step approach.
Even ChatGPT or Gemini-style interfaces sometimes break long outputs into chunks. It’s easier to read.
Another myth? That everyone hates clicking.
Actually, user testing often shows that "Next" buttons can increase "Information Retention." When you have to actively engage with the interface to see more, you are slightly more "awake" than when you are passively scrolling through a bottomless pit of content. It’s the difference between driving a car and being a passenger.
The Future of Navigation
We are moving toward a "Hybrid" model.
You’ve likely seen this on sites like Pinterest or certain news outlets. They use "Infinite Scroll" for the main feed but switch to "Pagination" or "Next" buttons once you get deep into a specific topic.
Smart design now adapts to the device. On a mobile phone, a thumb-friendly button is often easier to hit than trying to precisely scroll to a specific paragraph. On a desktop, we have more room to breathe.
How to Do It Right (For Creators)
If you are building a site or writing content, how do you use this without being a jerk?
First, don't break up a story that doesn't need to be broken. If it’s a 1,000-word article, keep it on one page. People have fast internet now; they don't need to wait for pages to load like it's 1998.
Second, make the button obvious. There is nothing worse than a "Next" button buried under six "Recommended Articles" that are actually just ads for keto gummies. That’s how you lose trust.
Third, use "State Preservation." If a user has to click the next button, make sure that if they hit the "Back" button, they don't lose everything they just did. This is the cardinal sin of web form design.
Actionable Insights for the Average User
Stop falling for the slideshow trap. Honestly, if you see an article that says "You won't believe what these child stars look like now" and it's a 40-page slideshow, just leave. There are "de-bloat" extensions for browsers that can often scrape all that text onto one page for you.
Check the URL. Often, you can see a "page=1" or "all-pages=false" string in the web address. Sometimes, if you're feeling techy, you can change that "false" to "true" and bypass the buttons entirely.
Pay attention to the "Visual Weight." A legitimate navigation button usually matches the site's branding. If the button looks like it’s glowing or has a slightly different font than the rest of the page, it’s probably an ad disguised as a navigation element.
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Ultimately, the act to click the next button is a contract. You are giving the site another pageview, and in exchange, they are supposed to give you value. If they stop holding up their end of the bargain, stop clicking.
Next Steps for Better Browsing
- Audit your habits: Notice how many times you click "Next" on a daily basis. Is it helping you find info, or is it just a habit?
- Use Reader Mode: Most modern browsers (Safari, Chrome, Firefox) have a "Reader View." This often bypasses pagination and gives you the whole story in one clean, scrollable sheet.
- Evaluate your own site: If you run a business, check your analytics. If people are dropping off at the "Next" button, your flow is too complicated. Shorten the path to the finish line.
The internet is built on choices. Every click is a vote for the kind of web you want to see. Choose wisely.