Instagram reels = Interdimensional Cable
For a very long time I managed to escape the reels trap in instagram. The button was placed somewhere I don’t remember and since this was never of my interest I learned how to ignore it. It’s not the case anymore. Some evil PM had the amazing idea of rearranging some pieces and moved the DMs entry point from the top-right corner to the center of the tab bar. So simple, yet so effective. This definitely got them a promotion and a place in hell.
Now, to move from the feed to my DMs (the only features I’m interested in) I do the intuitive swap. However, there’s the fucking reels in between them and before I know it I spent 30m of my meaninglessprecious life looking at brain rot content.
It is fascinating. They (& TikTok, I assume) managed to create the infinite dopamine machine. The content is terrible, random, funny, boring & worthless yet, somehow, incredibly addictive. Part of my brain knows this is a fucking waste of time, but part of it craves for more. It craves for the next AI generated slop, next life hack, next decoration inspiration, next everyday situation. It’s a slot machine on steroids, but you don’t get any coins.
The content is so unpredictable that it reminds me of the Interdimensional Cable episode from Rick & Morty. For bonus randomness I suggest you watching this shit drunk, around 2:30am. For every minute spent you get a 1 point decrease in your IQ.
What is life if not a collection of dopamine hits anyways?