Being Liked

Having your post liked on social media triggers a release of dopamine — the same habit-forming neurotransmitter your brain produces when you eat chocolate, and the same one released when people use cocaine. These linked feedback loops are what create addictions, and the compulsion to check your phone is as chemically real as any other.

As a commentary on this, I built an oversized cocaine bullet and filled it with M&Ms stamped with the word LIKE. A motor inside the device was connected to the internet — whenever anyone posted to Instagram with the hashtag #beingliked, the machine dispensed a serving of chocolate likes from the bullet, rewarding them for their post.