I've always said social media speaks to three fundamental human urges:
1. To be seen and heard
2. To connect to others
3. To feel part of something bigger than ourselves
Some work by Nir Eyal on the idea of a desire engine takes this to a deeper level. He describes three rewards that we seek, and shows that social media fulfills each. When we get these rewards, they trigger the pleasure center of our brains and yield biologically programmed payback.
In other words, there is a good reason that you're addicted to social media. You get a dose of dopamine when you do it.
Here are the three rewards that make up the desire engine:
- Tribe - We seek to be connected to people, because we have specially-adapted neurons to help us feel what others feel. Facebook anyone?
- Hunt - We have a need to acquire physical things, such as food and supplies, so we can survive as a species. Of course we hunt for other things too - deals, information, funny videos. Groupon, anyone?
- Self – We seek personal gratification and a feeling of stimulation and mastery. Don't we just love it when someone retweets that clever comment we made?
No wonder we can't stay away from our smartphones!
As someone focused on philanthropy, I also see why we get a "helper's high" - that rush of dopamine when we donate money or volunteer. We feel part of something bigger than ourselves (the tribe), we feel we've acquired something (the knowledge we made a difference), and we feel like we're a good person (self).
Some desire engines lead to nobler pursuits than others!
