In a world characterised by overconsumption and the allure of social media, it is has become increasingly prominent to pause and comprehend the intricate relationship between our usage of social media and the inner workings of our neural reward pathways. Together, these forces may exert a greater influence on our autonomous agency than we care to acknowledge. Last weekend, I delved into the book "Dopamine Nation" by Dr. Anna Lembke, seeking to remind myself of how exactly our neural reward pathways shape our behaviours and how deeply they may have become intertwined and exploited by the algorithms of social media that have morphed the way we all live in today's modern world.
What I discovered within those pages was not only a brilliant exploration of pleasure and pain systems but also a revelation of hidden research and implications that shed light on the manipulation of our biology by social media and its algorithms.
The focus of the book lies in the delicate balance between pleasure and pain—a scale perpetually working within us, striving to restore equilibrium. While the concept of balancing positive and negative experiences is not new, I was astounded by the opponent-process theory that “any prolonged or repeated departures from hedonic or affective neutrality… Have a cost.” This means that the extent to which every pleasurable action, indulgence, and the event is experienced an opposite measure of pain is required in return.
In my e-book "Balance" I delve deeper into the nature of pleasure and pain, exploring their intricate relationship and the importance of finding harmony. Feel free to download it now to gain further insights.
The Anticipation of Likes
But beyond this fundamental understanding of pleasure and pain, Dopamine Nation unveiled a fascinating aspect of our reward system: the addiction to anticipation. As I explored the research, it became obvious that many individuals are not only hooked on the engagement itself but also on the exhilaration leading up to the coveted act of pressing "post."
A 2010 study by Jakob Linnet and his colleagues measured the dopamine release in people addicted to gambling and in healthy controls while winning and losing money and I decided to compare the phenomenon of "loss chasing" in gambling addicts to the experience of social media users highlights an interesting parallel. In the context of social media apps, the response of others is often capricious and unpredictable, much like the uncertain outcomes in gambling that drive the urge to continue playing.
The allure of social media lies in the reinforcement individuals receive from the engagement and validation they receive, such as receiving a "like". Similar to the rush that gambling addicts experience when they win, the uncertainty of receiving positive feedback on social media can be reinforcing in itself. The anticipation and expectation of getting a "like" can be as powerful as the actual reward, leading to a continuous desire to seek validation through social media posting and its subsequent interactions.
Futhermore, I have found not only in my past personal usage but also in my friends who have follower counts of a couple of hundred to those who have between 30k and 110k, sheds light on the dark side of algorithms on social media platforms and how they use this exact science to keep us addicted. These algorithms determine the reach and visibility of posts, with initial shares being limited to a small percentage of followers. If a post garners high levels of engagement and interaction, it is considered a "high-value" post and is then shown to a wider audience.
However, what is often overlooked is how individuals who are building their brands or striving to become influencers themselves become an entangled victim in the algorithm that has stepped beyond the screen to physically reward them in the physical world (brad deals etc). While it may be rare for posts to consistently reach millions of views, this intentional limitation is designed to exploit our biology and keep us hooked. If every post received an overwhelming number of views, the dopamine spike we experience from such success would gradually diminish as we become desensitised to the abstract numbers that were once mind-blowing when we first started out.
Therefore, to sustain addiction and keep influencers hooked, the algorithm employs a strategy of teasing success. The success of posts, measured by reach and engagement, fluctuates, conditioning individuals to continuously post and engage with the platform in hopes of hitting a post that experiences peak engagement. The promise of more likes, followers, and potential brand deals acts as a powerful incentive, driving individuals to keep pressing the metaphorical button like a rat hoping for cocaine in a continuous quest for validation and social media success.
In summary, the analogy drawn between "loss chasing" in gambling and the dynamics of social media highlights how the uncertain and unpredictable nature of feedback and engagement on these platforms can become so addictive. Social media algorithms are designed to exploit our desire for validation and success, creating a cycle where individuals continuously seek the reinforcement and rewards associated with social media interactions. Furthermore, where the response of others is so capricious and unpredictable the research suggests that the uncertainty of getting a “like” or some equivalent is as reinforcing as the “like” itself.
Breaking Free
However, can we truly liberate ourselves from these practices? Are we genuinely independent individuals with full control over our use of these tools? This notion reflects the concept of autonomy bias, wherein we firmly believe in our autonomy and perceive ourselves as the sole authors of our lives. We often assume that if we desired, we could effortlessly delete the app and abstain from ever using it again. Nevertheless, overlooking the influence of the sunk cost fallacy, which often acts as a significant deterrent to completely deleting our profiles rather than the app temporaily, further research would suggest that even if we wish to detox from these platforms for a while for “a break” for “our well-being or a “dopamine detox” we are also severely unaware of the long-term effects that these reward-rich systems have already had on our brains.
In Dopamine Nation Anna Lembke further explains the process of experience-dependent plasticity where the brain makes changes that can last a lifetime in response to high-dopamine rewards and it is somewhat horrifying that we haven't fully considered its application to long-term overconcumption of social media.
When we apply the concept of experience-dependent plasticity to today's average social media consumer, we can see how these platforms have become so popular and obsessively used in the same way as the effects of drug addiction have on the brain. Social media platforms are obviously designed as reward-rich systems which as we now know can elicit addictive behaviours and lead to changes in the brain that may have lasting effects.
Just as the rats in a study on the long-term effects of cocaine experience on neuroplasticity showed sensitisation to the drug's effects over time, individuals who excessively use social media may become increasingly responsive to the reward mechanisms embedded within these platforms. Initially, people may engage with social media in a relatively moderate and controlled manner. However, as they continue to use social media and experience the immediate gratification it offers, or even abnormal success and growth an influencer receives, their personal engagement can escalate to a point where it becomes compulsive and all-consuming, in line with the running frenzy observed in the rats.
The brain's reward pathways play a crucial role in addiction. When individuals are exposed to substances like cocaine, alcohol, opioids, or even the constant stimulation and validation provided by social media, these pathways can undergo changes that reinforce addictive behaviour. In the case of the rats, the cocaine-induced alterations in their reward pathways were consistent with persistent cocaine sensitisation, even after a year of abstinence.
Similarly, individuals struggling with finding themselves (knowingly or unknowingly) addicted to social media, may find it challenging to resist the temptation to relapse into their original addictive consumption, even after a period of abstinence. A single exposure to the addictive substance of receiving validation and engagement may very well reignite the compulsive use and trigger a rapid return to addictive patterns. This suggests that the brain retains a form of memory or sensitivity to the previous addiction, referred to as "persistent sensitisation."
The long-term effects of social media addiction on the brain are not yet fully understood, as research in this area is still ongoing. However, anecdotal evidence from our daily lives and our own personal usage indicates why even after a long abstinence from social media why we can easily fall back into old patterns with minimal exposure or triggers.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, exploring the impact of social media through the insights from Dopamine Nation reveals the intricate workings of our neural reward pathways and sheds light on the manipulation of our biology by social media platforms and their algorithms. The delicate balance between pleasure and pain, as well as the addiction to anticipation, plays a significant role in keeping individuals hooked on social media engagement and validation.
However, it is important to recognise that freeing ourselves from these addictive practices may not be as simple as relying on sheer willpower alone. The sunk cost fallacy and the long-term effects of experience-dependent plasticity on the brain present significant challenges. Just as drug addiction can lead to enduring changes in the brain, excessive social media use can also elicit addictive behaviours and potentially have long-lasting effects, making it increasingly difficult for individuals to resist the temptation to relapse into their addictive consumption.
While the full extent of the long-term effects of social media addiction on the brain is still being studied, it is clear that these platforms have a profound impact on our behaviour and mental well-being. Recognising the power dynamics at play and acknowledging the hold that algorithms have on us is the first step towards regaining control and achieving a healthier relationship with social media use.
Ultimately, we must strive for a balanced approach, prioritising our well-being and real-life connections over the constant pursuit of validation and social media success. By understanding the secrets of how social media keeps us hooked, we can equip ourselves with the knowledge needed to navigate these platforms mindfully and reclaim our autonomy in the modern digital age.
Perhaps it is time to let go of the belief that we are unique individuals who have conquered the algorithm and consider the possibility that the algorithm has already conquered us.
Notes:
Lembke, A. (2021). Dopamine nation: finding balance in the age of indulgence. [New York, New York], Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
Linnet, J., Møller, A., Peterson, E., Gjedde, A., & Doudet, D. (2011). Dopamine release in ventral striatum during Iowa Gambling Task performance is associated with increased excitement levels in pathological gambling. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 106(2), 383–390. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03126.x
Solomon, Richard L., and John D. Corbit. “An Opponent-Process Theory of Motivation.” American Economic Review 68, no. 6 (1978): 12–24.
Waselus, M., Flagel, S. B., Jedynak, J. P., Akil, H., Robinson, T. E., & Watson, S. J., Jr (2013). Long-term effects of cocaine experience on neuroplasticity in the nucleus accumbens core of addiction-prone rats. Neuroscience, 248, 571–584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.06.042
Comments