The Algorithm Made Me Do It: Curated Realities And The American Experiment Shrink The Nation podcast

The Algorithm Made Me Do It: Curated Realities and the American Experiment

13d ago 1:03:51

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Your feed isn’t a therapist. It’s a slot machine with a PhD in you. We unpack how variable-reward dopamine loops keep you scrolling, why that “next swipe” feels irresistible, and how the feed learns your spikes (anger, fear, validation) to pay you in tiny hits of maybe.

Then the psychology: the algorithm doesn’t invent your defenses, it industrializes them. Projection (“they’re the liars”), splitting (good tribe vs bad tribe), and dodging cognitive dissonance scale up into mass delusions that feel truer than reality because they fit identity. That’s how curated reality turns into civic reality.

We map the Zeigarnik effect (brains hate open loops), autoplay as a craving cue, and why your prefrontal cortex’s brakes fail at midnight doomscroll o’clock. Also: the attention economy, micro-promises to micro-audiences, and the collapse of a shared fact set that democracy needs to function.

Not a doom sermon; a practical one. Humans have panicked over every new medium since Plato complained about writing, and we adapted. Seatbelts for dopamine, guardrails for feeds, and norms that make tech liveable.

Bourbon roll call: Basil Hayden, a high-rye Beam sibling (63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley). Yes, we time-stamped the mash bill so you don’t have to.

Prescriptions

Personal brakes: turn off autoplay, charge your phone outside the bedroom, and stop scrolling before bed so your prefrontal cortex can do its job.
Curiosity over certainty: when fervor spikes, widen inputs. Read beyond the feed; chase background, not just takes.
Civic guardrails (aspirational): algorithmic transparency like a food label; incentives that slow outrage-posting instead of rewarding it.

Smart, provocative, clinically grounded. Also petty about autoplay.

Education and entertainment only; not therapy.

"Got Thoughts? Outrage? A Diagnosis of Your Own? Send us a text"

Support the show

Shrink The Nation is where America lies on the couch — and we pour the bourbon.
Hosted by board-certified psychiatrists and mental health pros with backgrounds in military, media, and systems thinking, we break down the psychology behind politics, culture, and public dysfunction.
Smart. Funny. Clinically sharp. Slightly buzzed.

Subscribe, rate, and share if you’re part of the exhausted middle looking for sanity in the noise.

For feedback or hate-listening invitations, hit us at [email protected].

Shrink The Nation — On the Couch With America.

Chapters

1. The Algorithm's Influence on Behavior (00:00:00)

2. Understanding Addiction and Dopamine (00:04:57)

3. The Judd Apatow Effect and Tolerance (00:09:14)

4. Neurobiology vs. Psychology in Social Media (00:13:17)

5. The Role of Echo Chambers and Mass Delusions (00:16:19)

6. The Psychology of Addiction and Social Media (00:19:27)

7. The Neurobiology of Scrolling and Cravings (00:24:31)

8. Confirmation Bias and the Illusory Truth Effect (00:30:57)

9. The Impact of Social Media on Trust and Reality (00:39:21)

10. Engagement and Social Media Dynamics (00:44:18)

11. The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health (00:48:14)

12. Technology's Role in Human Behavior (00:51:32)

13. Addressing the Challenges of Social Media (00:56:35)

14. Prescriptions for a Healthier Digital Life (00:58:38)

21 episodes