Which strategies do social media and games use to bind users, and why are they compared to the intoxicant industry?

They activate the brain's reward system, much as intoxicants do: social media through belonging and social recognition (likes, comments), TikTok through short, new, exciting and personalised videos, and games through levels, achievements and competition.

The comparison: social media, games and gaming apps can have an intoxicating effect and bind users because they activate the reward system in the brain. They use similar strategies to the intoxicant industry.

• Social media: strengthen the feeling of connection and social recognition. Our status in the group matters to all of us, and we want to be liked. Posting, getting and giving likes and comments make us feel connected.
• TikTok: videos are short, new, exciting and tailored to the user; the flood of information captivates many.
• Games: completing another level, celebrating success alone or together, measuring oneself against others and winning are moments that feel good.

The same mechanism appears with natural highs: a runner's high is thought to come from endorphins and endocannabinoids that activate the reward system and dampen pain, a mechanism similar to that of cannabis and opiates.

Go deeper:

• Wikipedia: Reward system — how the brain's reward circuitry works.
• Wikipedia: Runner%27s high — the natural high used as a comparison.