Why is it that we can’t stop posting, liking and keeping up with a digital world that is so distorted from reality? Because social media is a super stimulus. With a brain designed for reptiles and monkeys, social media lights up our dopamine like a Christmas tree.
What is a Super Stimulus?
A super stimulus is a stimulus that elicits a response that is stronger than what humans were “programed” to handle. In other words, if its a modern piece of technology or invention that turbo charges a primal desire, it’s a super stimulus.
How is Social Media a Super-Stimulus?
As your brain is exposed to higher doses of dopamine, its threshold for what it considers pleasurable increases. Social media takes advantage of this feedback loop in a few key ways to hook us on higher doses of dopamine.
Endless Comparisons
Making $100,000 per year right out of college is excellent. You’re in the top 1% of your peers when you make that much money at 23 years old. Ask that college grad if he feels happy with his 100k salary. I bet you he’d say that the 100k is fine, but not great.
Comparison is the death of joy, and on social media the comparisons are nonstop and endless. To be fair, who can blame the college grad for feeling mediocre when he’s constantly bombarded with influencers getting rich quick driving around in their Ferraris?
Social media distorts our perception of reality. With social media, our brain creates this “new normal” for what it means to be average. The end result for us is comparisons to unrealistic goals and dissatisfaction with our lives.
Constant Stream of Novelty
As humans, we crave novelty. Ten minutes of scrolling on Instagram provides more novelty than our ancestors could get in a life time.
Every scroll offers a new piece of information. Creators are constantly working on making content that shocking, disturbing, and novel. The constant novelty hooks us to the platforms and keeps us coming back for more.
Social Validation
Humans are social beings. We crave validation and acceptance from our peers. We interpret likes, comments, and shares as digital confirmation of our self worth.
As you might expect, this is an instant feedback loop. Real life validation pales in comparison to what we can get online. If I go viral on Tik Tok, I can generate millions of likes from my peers. Where in the real world can I get a million people to “like” me all at once?
Tailored Content
Content evokes the strongest dopamine response from our brain when it’s novel. What’s the best way to make sure users are getting novel content? Sophisticated algorithms.
Social media platforms use algorithms to curate content specifically for each user. When you tailor content for each person, you can ensure that the content is novel and exciting, so people keep coming back for more.
The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
All of us know the feeling of FOMO. Do you know what’s worse than not being invited to a party all your friends are going to? Watching the carefully curated highlights on Snapchat stories during the party. It was bad enough that that you weren’t invited. Now you get the opportunity to watch it happening in real time.
Hint: The party is probably way more lame than the stories are making it out to be. I’ve been to awful parties that have been made to look like Project X on Snapchat.
Social media creates an environment where everyone’s lives are constantly on display. And you aren’t getting the truth. You’re getting handpicked highlights that are either exaggerated or fully out of whack with reality. These platforms prey on very primal human instincts, like the need to be included in society.
Is It Worth It?
I’ll leave you with this question before finishing this article: do you feel that the benefits of social media outweigh all the negatives? If you’re anything like me, that answer is a resounding no. Take the plunge and see what life is like without never ending reminders of fantasy and FOMO. Sometimes, ignorance is truly bliss.
