A Rigged Casino
Algorithms work like slot machines—using dopamine hits (likes, notifications, endless scrolling) to keep you hooked, not unlike a rigged casino because both are designed to keep you hooked, spending more time (or money) while making you think you’re in control.
Here’s how they compare:
The House Always Wins – Just like a casino ensures the odds favor the house, social media algorithms prioritize content that maximizes engagement (and ad revenue), not what’s best for you.
Addictive by Design – Slot machines are programmed to give intermittent rewards, making players keep pulling the lever. Social media does the same with unpredictable likes, comments, and notifications to keep you scrolling.
You Think You’re Making Choices – In a casino, you choose which game to play, but the mechanics are rigged. On social media, you think you’re in control of what you see, but the algorithm decides what to show you.
Manipulating Emotion – Casinos use lights, sounds, and psychological tricks to make you feel like a big win is just around the corner. Social media feeds exploit your emotions by showing polarizing, sensational, or highly engaging content to keep you engaged.
Difficult to Walk Away – Both are designed to make quitting hard. Casinos use no clocks and no windows, while social media uses infinite scroll and auto-play to make sure you “just check one more thing.”
Both industries thrive on maximizing engagement at your expense, and while you might occasionally “win” (finding useful content or getting viral success), the system ensures you keep coming back, often for longer than you intended.
The more time you spend on these platforms, the more money they make. But just like gambling addiction destroys lives, social media addiction can lead to anxiety, depression, and distorted reality.
Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography
