how:
-
addiction to dopamine
-
exploits fundamental brain functions
- social confirmation
- behaviour rooted in three aspects; motivation, ability and a trigger
- trigger: fear on missing out, desire to take a picture
- ability: not required, app is simple and filters allow taken pictures to look great
- movitation: social confirmation, basic human need ā Instagram as means to social confirmation
- dopamine rewards for followers and likes as means to quantify social confirmation
- need for social group
- humans strive after being part of a group by imitating the behaviour of their group and denying behaviour of other groups
- followers & people you follow are your group
- ālearning through observationā, subconcious imitation of group members, influencing you ā influencers
- brain cannot
- social confirmation
-
fear on misssing out, seek social confirmation
-
makes fame and social confirmation quantifiable
-
social comparison, seek social groups
- followers / people you follow are your group
- you imitate the behaviour of your group
- influencers place product placement in your group
- subconcious desire after certain products
-
advertisements are part of your feed and therefore āfamiliarā
why:
- use the app as long as possible to collect more data for targeted advertising
- moneyyy
task: outline how Instagram makes people addicted and why for an English tech blog
source: Franco-German broadcaster ARTE
Instagram and the Dopamine Trap: How Social Media Hooks Our Brains
In todayās digital world, social media platforms like Instagram have become an integral part of our lives. But what if the endless scrolling, liking, and posting isnāt just a harmless habit but a carefully designed system to keep us addicted?
This is the topic of Franco-German broadcaster ARTEās documentary āInstagram: SĆ¼chtig nach Dopaminā, which can be translated to āInstagram: Addicted to dopamineā. The documentary explains how Instagram exploits fundamental brain functions to maximize user engagement and, ultimately, profit. Letās take a closer look at how and why Instagram keeps us hooked. In order to do this, I am going to outline the content of the documentary for you.
The documentary explains how, at its core, Instagram leverages our brainās addiction to dopamine. Every like, follow, and comment triggers a small dopamine hit, reinforcing the behaviour and making us crave more engagement.
Additionally, Instagramās success isnāt just about dopamine; itās also about how it taps into essential human psychology. Humans naturally seek to belong to a group, imitating their behaviour and rejecting others. On Instagram, a userās followers and the people they follow become their social group. Subconscious imitation of group members influences personal preferences and behaviours, which is why influencers hold significant sway over their audiences.
Instagram manipulates usersā fear of missing out and their innate drive for social comparison. By quantifying social worth through numbersālikes, followers, and engagementāusers constantly measure themselves against others. This fuels a never-ending cycle of posting, scrolling, and seeking approval. This brings us to the appās real goal ā collect data and serve targeted ads.
Ultimately, Instagramās business model thrives on addiction. The longer users stay on the app, the more data is collected, allowing for more precise ad targeting. And more targeted ads mean higher revenue. In short, your addiction equals their profit.
Iād like to hear your opinion on this topic too. Do you use Instagram? Do you like it? Feel free to comment or to send a message and we can further discuss what you think.