Time and Attention cover image

Time and Attention

95: Novelty Hunting

Jan 31, 2023
26:36

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Novelty hunting in the digital world is driven by the novelty factor, which plays a significant role in generating dopamine and seeking out surprising and novel sources of stimuli.
  • Constantly seeking out digital novelty can become a hidden source of stress, leading to overstimulation of the mind and potential mental health issues.

Deep dives

The Power of Novelty and Dopamine Release

Novelty hunting is a behavior driven by the dopamine factor. Dopamine is a chemical that generates a feeling of pleasure and anticipation. Three factors determine the dopamine release: genetics, salience, and novelty. In the digital world we occupy, the novelty factor plays a significant role. The more surprising and novel something is, the greater the dopamine hit we receive. This tendency to seek out novelty leads to bouncing around different sources of stimuli, such as social media, news, and email, and can result in the overstimulation of our minds.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode