BETA
Chapter 1
The birth of the bottomless feed
Chapter 2
Your brain on dopamine
Chapter 3
The dark patterns of design
Chapter 4
Reclaiming your digital attention
YOUR GOAL
Master of The infinite scroll
Ch 2 · Your brain on dopamine
futura Your brain on dopamine
That next scroll's a surprise, Unlocking your brain's prize, Dopamine keeps you seeking!
futura An unexpected positive surprise triggers a massive surge of dopamine in your brain.
futura Receiving rewards at unpredictable intervals is the most powerful way to reinforce habit loops.
Fun Fact
Dopamine's real job: Dopamine is actually a chemical of anticipation, spiking when you expect a reward rather than when you actually receive it.
Glossary
dopamine (noun)
A neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a major role in regulating reward, motivation, and motor control. Aza Raskin's 2006 infinite scroll design systematically exploits dopamine to hook users through unpredictable feed rewards.
A neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a major role in regulating reward, motivation, and motor control. Aza Raskin's 2006 infinite scroll design systematically exploits dopamine to hook users through unpredictable feed rewards.
Quiz
Which neurotransmitter is primarily responsible for the anticipation of a reward in your brain?
Quiz
Which three-step loop, popularized by Charles Duhigg, describes how habits form in the brain?
Quiz
What did neuroscientist Wolfram Schultz discover about dopamine in his 1997 monkey experiments?
Quiz
What happens to dopamine levels when a social media post gets way more likes than you expected?
Quiz
What is the psychological term for receiving rewards at unpredictable, random intervals?