Have you ever wondered why all social media platforms have users “scroll” for more content? It is addicting to the human brain! Continue reading to find out the science behind the infinite scroll.
It Is in Our Nature
The human brain seeks predictability and patterns. When you scroll, you do not always see what you are longing for, so you continue to scroll. Social media is like gambling. When you gamble, you continue to refresh in hopes to win big and attain that for which you are searching. When you get what you are looking for, your brain receives a quick rush of dopamine, making the pattern addicting.
The Dopamine Rush
The dopamine rush is addicting to your brain. It is creating a sort of neurological “high”. Research shows that the average person scrolls about every 19 seconds. This means their brain is receiving this rush of addicting dopamine every 19 seconds. Users get hooked on the continuous flow, and the cycle can continue for hours. The social media platforms are on to something.
Intentional Design
Now social media platforms are being designed specifically to trigger these addictive behaviors. The model used is called the hook model. The hook model creates a consumer cycle consisting of trigger, action, reward, and investment. This model creates an addictive loop that seems to keep users uncontrollably glued to their phones for hours on end.
There are about 4.62 billion users on social media platforms across the globe. Many of these users are addicted to the scroll. Get your firm on social media so they can see your content and become engaged with your posts.
