Take selfies continuously and from different angles to feel the release of chemicals in your body. They cause a feeling of satisfaction by not being able to do without them.: The effects of social media can change the lives of even mice. It is the result of the work of Augustin Lignier, a Parisian professional photographer driven by the mission of involving viewers in the contemplation and criticism not only of images, but also of our society as a producer and consumer of them. The experiment, which is once again the center of attention after having been recently taken up by New York Times, consisted of training two mice to take selfies in exchange for the distribution of rewards, which, however, after a fixed number of shots became more sporadic or replaced by an electric shock applied directly to the pleasure zone of the brain. After a significant number of pressures, the rats showed always operate the lever with greater interest, even ignoring the rewards who were initially paid, just like those who are glued to the slot machines waiting to hit the jackpot. The same behaviors that, according to the photographer, are exploited by social networks to “keep the viewer’s attention for as long as possible.”
The experiment was carried out within a skinning box, that is, a cage in which the guinea pig can freely explore the environment and perform actions such as pressing a button or lowering a lever. The structure, which has been used for years in rodent behavior tests, was transformed by Lignier into a real photo booth: the artist built a tall, transparent tower with two mice inside. Each time the rats pressed the single button on the box, a small dose was administered. of sugar and the machine took the photo and then showed the photo to the guinea pigs. At the end of the training phase, the candy release process was modified to an intermittent pattern. The result was that the animals “remained glued to the button waiting for the next reward”, sometimes ignoring even the sugar that was released less frequently than in the initial phase.
For Lignier the parallel is obvious: «Every time they press the button they feel pleasure in their brain. Then they begin to associate an action with pleasure and begin to play with it more and more. That’s why they keep moving forward. Digital and social media companies use the same concept to keep the viewer’s attention for as long as possible.». Words that also find agreement with some peer-reviewed studies accepted by the scientific community for years. In a 2014 study, for example, scientists showed that many human volunteers “preferred to give themselves electric shocks rather than be left alone with their thoughts,” while another 2021 research described social media as “a Skinner box for humans.” modern”. Lignier added that the experiment establishes a connection between the way rats use the photo frame and the way humans are incentivized by measurable rewards, such as likes and other interactions on posts. According to numerous experts, is of the dopamine effect: an endogenous neurotransmitter that is produced in the brain when we do something pleasurable and is therefore used to motivate us to repeat those actions, which is why it is also linked to addiction. Reasons also confirmed by Dr. Anna Lembke, who stated that “social networks are making us addicted to dopamine and every touch, like or publication fuels our habit, making abstinence increasingly difficult.”
[di Roberto Demaio]