Hooked on autoplay, infinite scrolling and dopamine hits

The Star

20-07-2025

PETALING JAYA: Let's face it – social media isn't a wellness retreat; it's a business and your attention is the currency.
Tech experts explained that social media platforms use variable reward schedules and featu­res like autoplay and infinite scroll to hook users, exploiting our brain's craving for novelty and surprise.
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Universiti Malaysia Sarawak's senior lecturer Dr Chuah Kee Man said companies prioritise engagement metrics like daily active users and time spent on platform becau­se these are easily moneti­sed.
'Some platforms promote well-being features, but ironically, once you're in, they'll still lure you to stay longer than you inten­ded,' he said yesterday.
Chuah added that one reason people cannot stop scrolling lies in a psychological mechanism called variable reward schedule, where the next scroll might lead to something unexpectedly rewarding.
Combined with autoplay and infinite scroll features, he said this creates a digital experience with no clear 'ending'.
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'You keep going because you don't know when the next interesting post will appear. Before you know it, hours have passed.'
While some platforms used to show prompts like 'You're all caught up', such friction-based features are now rare.
'Proactive, ethical design is at odds with the business model of maximising attention,' he added.
Chuah said screen time dashboards and app timers are helpful, but they're mostly reactive.
'What we need are smarter safeguards – systems that can detect mindless scrolling patterns and offer timely, gentle nudges to disengage,' he said.
'Maybe it's time we treat social media algorithms like we treat cars or medicine – with safety standards and independent audits.'
President of AI Society, Dr Azree Shahrel Ahmad Nazri, said social media apps are tapping into users' brain chemistry to keep them hooked – and it's no accident.
'Apps like TikTok use autoplay, infinite scroll and high-speed content to trigger dopamine respon­ses. It's a form of neuromarketing that hijacks the brain's reward system.'
He explained that short videos designed to grab attention within the first three seconds, such as dance clips or pranks, are more likely to be promoted.
'These micro-rewards train users to crave fast, high-stimulation content, making it harder to disconnect,' he said.
Instead of prioritising user well-being, tech companies focus on metrics like watch-through rate, likes and shares – signals that measure retention, not impact.
'These metrics guide A/B testing and algorithmic tweaks that make the platform more addictive.'
He said ethical design could introduce friction, such as slow- loading transitions, time-limit reminders or cool-down breaks to interrupt compulsive scrolling.
'These features would disrupt the dopamine loop.'
While platforms like TikTok and YouTube Kids offer screen-time dashboards and parental limits, Azree said that without default-on safeguards, the cycle continues unchecked.'
Azree called for regulatory action inspired by models such as China's Douyin.
'Governments could mandate time restrictions, age-sensitive filters and cognitive impact assessments using the same principles as neuromarketing, but for user protection, not profit,' he added.