The Dopamine Trap
Daily Chase #111
We’ve moved from entertainment to addiction, and most people haven’t noticed.
The shift happened gradually. First, we had slow traditional culture - albums instead of tracks, courtship instead of hookups, newspapers instead of clickbait. Then came fast modern culture - everything sped up but still had substance.
As the writer Ted Gioia has written, we now live in dopamine culture.
We don’t watch sports, we gamble on them. We don’t listen to songs, we scroll through six-second clips. We don’t date people, we swipe through profiles like slot machine handles.
The companies behind this aren’t evil - they’re economic.
Facebook started as a way to connect with friends. Instagram began as photo sharing. But somewhere along the way, the algorithms learned something powerful: addiction is more profitable than entertainment.
Think about how you use these platforms now.
You’re not entertained - you’re compulsive. You swipe not because you’re enjoying what you see, but because you can’t stop swiping. Like a gambler pulling the slot machine lever, you’re chasing the next hit of dopamine.
These attention cartels have figured out how to hack your brain more effectively than any substance ever created. Their drug is legal, celebrated, and considered essential for modern life.
They don’t care if you’re fulfilled, educated, or connected to real people. They care about keeping your eyeballs on their screen because that’s how they get paid.
The first step in escaping a trap is recognizing you’re in one.
When you mindlessly pick up your phone and start scrolling, that’s the moment to pause. Ask yourself: Am I choosing to be here, or is something else choosing for me?
Your attention is your most valuable resource. Don’t let someone else own it.
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