Users browse platforms that imitate real situations to obtain mental rewards without spending or leaving home
A new digital trend has gained ground among young people through so-called “dopamine sites”, platforms that simulate everyday activities to reproduce an immediate sensation of pleasure and reward, without the experience actually happening. The information was published on on May 27th.
The proposal is simple: the user navigates through virtual environments that imitate real situations, such as ordering food via an app, shopping online or even taking a smoke break. The difference is that nothing is actually completed. The order is never delivered, the purchase is not made and the cigarette does not exist.
Instead of the end result, the focus is on the experience itself. According to the newspaper report Korea Timesthe phenomenon is mainly based on the expectation and ritual that precede an action, a process that can generate a temporary feeling of satisfaction similar to that produced by real experiences.
Logic is related to dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for reward and pleasure mechanisms in the brain. Experts say that the greatest release of this substance often occurs before the reward, while expecting to receive it.
PLATFORMS USED
Among the most popular platforms are fictional food delivery apps, in which users choose dishes, add items to the cart and simulate orders without completing the purchase. There are also websites that reproduce coexistence environments, such as collective smoke breaks.
In these spaces, users see other people connected in real time and can leave short messages such as “I’m trying to get through another day” or “I want to go home”creating a kind of virtual break room.
Young people interviewed by Korea Times state that the practice works like small breaks during the routine and helps to relieve stress, anxiety and feelings of isolation.
“I’m not actually smoking, but it feels like I’m taking a break with someone. It’s strangely comforting.”Lee, a 24-year-old college student, told the newspaper.
Experts relate the popularity of these services to the scenario faced by the younger generation in the country. The increase in the cost of living, pressure for professional and academic performance and insecurity about the future have led some South Koreans to seek forms of entertainment considered more accessible and less emotionally draining.
Kim Heon-sik, a professor at Jungwon University, told the Korea Times that the phenomenon reflects a broader shift in digital behavior. “These sites show a desire to experience a sensation similar to real life without necessarily participating in it”these.
The professor compared the trend to the growth of content known as mukbangvideos in which people watch others eat large amounts of food to experience a vicarious sense of satisfaction.
Although many users describe the practice as a harmless form of relaxation, the phenomenon also raises questions about the increasing replacement of real experiences with digital versions and the impacts of this behavior on social relationships and consumption habits.
