Social media bombards you with interesting novelty to cause a dopamine hit.
- Social media bombards you with interesting novelty to cause a dopamine hit.
- Prediction errors are emotionally intense.
- They're uncomfortable but we also crave them.
- The feed is almost entirely a feed of prediction errors.
- "Look at this surprising thing. Now look at this totally other thing!"
- You're overwhelmed, and can't form a coherent worldview.
- A background feeling of: "I'm screwed, my world model doesn't work."
- A background of nervous, formless anxiety.
- Like a Dorito, the only thing to make the anxiety away is to take another bite.
- Temporarily salves the anxiety while also forcing you to crave more.
- A doom loop for meaning.