Ever wonder why you can demolish an entire bag of Cheetos without realizing it—but you’ve never mindlessly eaten six ears of corn in one sitting? That’s not an accident. That’s by design.
Cheetos aren’t just puffed corn with a little cheese dust. They’re a scientifically engineered dopamine bomb. Everything about them—the crunch, the melt-in-your-mouth texture, the precise balance of fat, salt, and umami—has been painstakingly optimized to override your brain’s natural “I’m satisfied” signals and keep you reaching for more.
This isn’t just a food thing. This is everything now.
Everything You Consume Has Been Engineered to Hook You
Social media, video games, Netflix, processed food, online shopping—these things have been fine-tuned by teams of experts, using billions of dollars in research, to make sure you keep coming back.
Ever notice how scrolling Instagram feels more engaging than sitting with your own thoughts? How YouTube’s algorithm somehow always knows the exact next video to keep you from going to bed? How DoorDash is way more appealing than cooking a meal, even when you have groceries in the fridge?
That’s because these things aren’t competing with each other—they’re competing with your ability to say no.
Just like Cheetos have been designed to be more appealing than regular corn, social media has been designed to be more stimulating than real-life interactions. Video games are engineered to be more rewarding than real-life accomplishments. And streaming platforms are optimized to keep you watching longer than you intended, because your attention is the product they sell.
The Dopamine Trap
Dopamine is the brain’s motivation chemical. It’s what pushes you toward things that feel rewarding. But the problem is, not all rewards are created equal.
- Natural dopamine hits come from things like exercising, creating something, having deep conversations, or working toward a goal. These take effort, but they lead to long-term satisfaction.
- Artificial dopamine hits come from binge-watching, mindless scrolling, ultra-processed food, and quick-fix entertainment. These feel great in the moment, but leave you feeling empty afterward.
The more you indulge in highly engineered dopamine sources, the harder it becomes to enjoy natural, effort-based rewards. Your brain literally downregulates its dopamine receptors, meaning it takes more stimulation to feel the same level of pleasure.
This is why a two-hour deep conversation with a friend might feel less rewarding than a two-hour TikTok binge—even though the conversation actually enriches your life.
How to Rewire Your Brain
You don’t have to swear off all modern pleasures and go live in a cave. But you do have to be intentional about where you get your dopamine from.
Here’s how:
- Recognize what’s been engineered to hook you. The first step is just awareness. When you know something is designed to hijack your brain, you can start choosing differently.
- Replace cheap dopamine with real rewards. Instead of mindlessly scrolling, go on a walk. Instead of ultra-processed snacks, eat real food. Instead of passive entertainment, work on a skill.
- Set friction between you and engineered dopamine. If you want to watch less Netflix, log out after every session. If you want to scroll less, delete the app from your phone. The harder something is to access, the less likely you are to indulge mindlessly.
- Reintroduce boredom. The world wants you to think boredom is bad. It’s not. Boredom is where creativity happens. If you never let your brain be still, you’ll always be chasing the next hit of stimulation.
Conclusion
The world isn’t playing fair. It’s playing for your attention. And just like Cheetos have been carefully designed to be more appealing than regular corn, most modern distractions have been carefully engineered to be more stimulating than the things that actually bring you fulfillment.
The good news? You still have control. You just have to take it back.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go eat an actual ear of corn.