Social media is a great way to stay in contact and up to date with your friends and family, but it is also highly addictive. What is it about Twitter feeds and Instagram stories that are so addictive though? Why is it that the average person checks their phone over 80 times a day? Why are we pulled to open an app that shows a notification?
Casino's employ many aspects to make their customers more addicted to the act of gambling for the sole purpose of making more money. As humans we find gratification in something as simple as pushing a big button or pulling a lever. Casino's are like the jackpot of big buttons, mesmerizing lights, and the chance to win money! Think about when you're refreshing your Twitter feed. You swipe down and you see a spinning circle, which is either followed by new posts or nothing. Now think about slot machines. You pull down on a lever and you watch as it spins until you get your result, either you win money or you lose money. Sound similar? That's because this process of refreshing a page or pulling a lever is meant to be addictive.
Studies of addictive behaviors have shown that by receiving small amounts of gratification from an activity will cause you to want to do that activity over and over again. No matter how many times you refresh your feed and see no new posts you will continuously check it throughout the day and you will receive the gratification you were looking for in the presence of new posts. Casino's program their games so that you will receive small rewards often but not every time, leaving you craving to keep trying to win more, just like your social media feeds.
Slot machines and social media are entertaining pass times but they are designed to be addictive.
