Saved by Earnest Pettie
Sludge Videos Are Taking Over TikTok--And People's Mind
A 2019 study by researchers at Berkeley found that information acts on the brain’s dopamine-producing reward system in the same way as food. Put simply, the brain treats information as a reward in itself; it doesn't matter whether the info is accurate or useful, the brain will still crave it and feel satisfied after consuming it (at least until it ... See more
The Intellectual Obesity Crisis
In the early days of the internet, the Web’s surface was relatively smooth and its “gravitational force” was weak. You could random walk without getting sucked into any black holes. During the 2010s, social media platforms “dug into the Web surface, dragging activities down their slopes … As a result of this magnetic-like attraction, caused by the ... See more
Aaron Z. Lewis • The garden of forking memes: how digital media distorts our sense of time
The Internet promotes compulsive overconsumption not merely by providing increased access to drugs old and new, but also by suggesting behaviors that otherwise may never have occurred to us. Videos don’t just “go viral.” They’re literally contagious, hence the advent of the meme.
Anna Lembke • Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence
Conspiratorial thinking is no longer just for the tinfoil-hat crowd. The very structure of the internet encourages a kind of hyper-paranoia, where every piece of content feels like it’s leading somewhere bigger.
The way platforms serve us information—fractured, unpredictable, contextless—creates a feeling of constant destabilisation. What’s real? Wh... See more
The way platforms serve us information—fractured, unpredictable, contextless—creates a feeling of constant destabilisation. What’s real? Wh... See more