Steemit on Dopamine, a Way Forward: My Anniversary Post
Yesterday I celebrated my first anniversary on Steemit. It's been a fun year, though I do hear cries of distress around me. The concern is that the platform does not attract enough new users, and that when it does attract users, these accounts often become inactive.
Many community members are trying to improve the Steemit environment. They design contests where bloggers can create content, interact with each other, and earn rewards. These contests foster enthusiasm, and engagement. Yet, overall, the efforts of committed Steemians have not filled the energy vacuum that apparently plagues the platform. Why?
I'm fairly certain Steemit Inc. isn't deliberately sabotaging its own business. Unfortunately, their operating model seems to be doing just that. Now, I'm no financial guru, but I do have a theory about what ails Steemit. The company has not made the transition from being an investment, startup opportunity to being an engine that sustains itself organically. Key to becoming that engine would be utilization of basic marketing techniques, informed by current research in neuroscience.
Dopamine 
What Do Facebook and Twitter Know That Steemit Doesn't? 
The role of dopamine in the brain was identified only about sixty years ago. That's pretty amazing, considering how thoroughly the idea of this neurotransmitter has permeated popular culture. Most people realize that dopamine is influential in the development of addictions, and that some psychotropic medications target dopamine receptors in the brain. Less commonly acknowledged is the fact that dopamine receptors are also targeted by skilled marketers. Included among these savvy audience manipulators are social networking platforms. The platforms' designs depend on the dopamine reward system to hook and keep their users.
That is, all platforms except Steemit.
Thank You Steemit 
Let me stop right now and clarify my motive for writing this post. This is not a screed against Steemit Inc. I've had a great year on this platform and I'm grateful for that. Please consider my post to be an intervention.
This is my Steemit family, and I want my family to thrive.
Dopamine and the Reward System 
An understanding of how dopamine affects behavior has evolved. It used to be that scientists believed dopamine was the enjoyment chemical, the reason we feel pleasure when we engage in certain activities. Turns out, dopamine may play a more significant role in conditioning responses. It may set the stage for the way we behave. According to behavioral psychologist Susan Weinschenk, "Dopamine increases your general level of arousal and your goal-directed behavior". 1
One area Dr. Weinschenk addresses specifically in her work is social media addiction. She explains that we keep repeating behavior on social media--scrolling through our texts, our responses, our contexts--because of the dopamine release our activity prompts. Dr. Weinshenk suggests that we don't voluntarily stop engaging in these activities unless we are interrupted--or until we reach satiety. But in her view, there is no point at which satiety is reached. Hence, we get caught in what she calls the dopamine-seeking loop. This 'loop' is at the heart of social media addiction.
The Virtual Hug 
The little girls in the picture are likely receiving massive doses of dopamine with that vigorous hug. According to Mauricio Delgado, neuroscientist at Rutgers University, “The same brain areas [that are activated for food and water] are activated for social stimuli.” 2 A smile , a hug, a positive gesture in the physical universe of day-to-day living--all prompt the release of dopamine and elicit sensations of pleasure.
Dr. Delgado explains that, in the context of social media, 'likes' are reinforcers. Not only are they primary sources of pleasure (because of the dopamine release) but they also become motivators to reengage, to repeat the positive experience (of dopamine release).
Upvotes, Dopamine, and Steemit
If we apply what we know about dopamine and conditioned responses to Steemit, upvotes would equal 'likes'. According to Dr. Delgado and Dr. Weinshenk, the more 'upvotes' people give and receive, the more likely they are to engage. It would seem to be in the interest of Steemit, therefore, to have a great availability of upvotes, even if there is no financial incentive tied to each vote. Engagement--users--are the lifeblood of the platform. In order to survive and grow, Steemit needs to tap into the dopamine reward system, as Facebook and Twitter do.
The Neuroscience of Positive Reinforcement 
A succinct and informative video (2 minutes!) I came across explains the role of the nucleus accumbens in signalling rewards in the brain.
Research on Facebook specifically shows that when users get positive feedback, a part of their brain called the nucleus accumbens lights up. The more intensely involved a user is with Facebook, the greater the response. As shown in the diagram above, the nucleus accumbens plays a central role in the brain's reward circuitry.
Scientists at Harvard looked further into users' experience on Facebook and fine-tuned the connection to the dopamine reward system. What these researchers discovered was that people love to talk about themselves on social media. Brain scans conducted during episodes of personal sharing revealed a stronger response in the nucleus accumbens than during other types of engagement. As a matter of fact, users actually were willing to "forgo money to disclose about the self."3
Reward Cues Guide Behavior
In 2011, a pair of researchers from the University of North Carolina took a look at the nucleus accumbens and classic behavioral conditioning. They wanted to distinguish between different phases of reward activation. Their conclusion? The nucleus accumbens processes information about responses-- and cues. This processing "can be used to ultimately guide behaviors toward rewards".4 Note, the cute dog in the picture above is showing strong response to a cue, not to actual food consumption. This is the sort of information that guides the operation of Facebook and Twitter. It's the kind of information Steemit needs to mine in order to organically grow the platform.
Confessions of a Facebook Guru 
Sean Parker, one of the founders of Facebook, attended an event in 2018 at which he talked about the operating principles that keep the Facebook engine running. He explained that hooking into the brain's reward circuitry was, from Facebook's inception, a conscious decision. There was an awareness that likes, comments and other interaction would reward users with "a little dopamine hit." 5. Parker admits the network's creators were aware that their platform had the potential to be addictive. In his words, Facebook was "exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology".6
The area labeled VTA stands for ventral tegmental area. Both the VTA and the nucleus accumbens play critical roles in the dopamine reward system. Dopamine neurons travel from the nucleus accumbens and the VTA to other areas of the brain (as shown) through several pathways. (There's another two-minute video available on Youtube that gives a clear and succinct description of the VTA's role).
Beware the Perils of Disappointment
While dopamine release is associated with rewards, the anticipation of reward (as shown in the dog picture earlier in this blog) alone is strongly stimulative, even stronger than the experience itself. According to an article published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, "Activation in ventral striatum is more strongly associated with the anticipation of reward than the actual receipt. "7. In this anticipation/reward relationship there is peril for marketers, and for social media platforms. It seems, that, "when anticipation is met with disappointment, the brain learns to refrain from engaging with that content" (Delgado). 8
Steemit and Dopamine
I think active Steemians would agree that the platform does not use the dopamine reward system effectively, if it uses it at all. The basic tool of engagement, voting, is tightly rationed. And other forms of engagement--commenting and blogging--are limited by the amount of resource credits a user has to 'spend'. New users are virtually paralyzed.
Rather than encouraging an unlimited stream of engagement points--which would reinforce the dopamine-seeking loop--Steemit starves users. Engagement becomes punitive, rather than rewarding. Not only is the dopamine reward system bypassed, but disappointment becomes almost a common experience for new accounts. And, as we learned from Dr. Delgado, disappointment conditions users to refrain from further engagement.
I'm not advocating that we make social media "junkies" out of users. What would be wise though, is establishing an operating model that incentivizes engagement. There is nothing nefarious about that.
The Future
The founders of Steemit were innovative and visionary. They were entrepreneurs who knew how to attract investors. As a startup, they were smashingly successful. But they didn't have a plan for attracting people who weren't investors, people who would want to join the platform and remain engaged in the platform for the sheer pleasure of it.
In order for Steemit to grow it needs users. The formula for getting and keeping users is not a mystery. Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram all tap into the dopamine reward system. If Steemit wants to make money through advertising, for example, it needs the numbers to bring in the advertisers and get a good reimbursement rate from those advertisers.
And users who don't invest in crypto initially, might be incentivized to buy after becoming familiar with the concept of crypto and the Steemit platform.
My Anniversary: Why Have I Stayed on Steemit?
I guess the primary reason I'm here and plan to stay is, my dopamine reward system is tapped every time I create. That can be a science blog, a picture, or a story. Also have 'met' wonderful people here, and I want to keep meeting them.
Steemit is important to some users as a source of income. That's important to me. I care about these people, and I like the idea that this platform offers opportunity to people.
Finally, it would be nice to make money. Wouldn't it be great if the price of Steemit took off?
Thank you to all on this platform--scientists, creative writers, artists, linguists, historians, photographers, casual bloggers--who make engaging here one of the bright spots in my day.
Accent Art, not Otherwise Credited: Paint 3d
Footnotes
1 The Dopamine Seeking-Reward Loop
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-wise/201802/the-dopamine-seeking-reward-loop
2 Is Social Media as Addictive as Sugar?
https://discoverorganically.com/social-media-addictive-sugar/
3 Study: Social Media Fires Up Brain's Pleasure Center
https://www.lifewire.com/social-media-stimulates-brain-pleasure-centers-2655245
4 The Nucleus Accumbens and Pavlovian Reward Learning
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3130622/)
5 The Guardian, Has Dopamine Got Us Hooked on Tech?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/04/has-dopamine-got-us-hooked-on-tech-facebook-apps-addiction)
6 The Guardian, Ex-Facebook President Sean Parker: Site Made to Exploit Human 'Vulnerability'
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/09/facebook-sean-parker-vulnerability-brain-psychology
7 Neuroanatomy of Dopamine: Reward and Addiction
https://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.24.1.1
8 Getting to the “Like” – The Importance of Not Being a Disappointment When It Comes to your Social Media Content
https://foxiedigital.com/2015/11/23/getting-to-the-like-the-importance-of-not-being-a-disappointment-when-it-comes-to-your-social-media-content/
Some Sources Used in Writing This Post
Indian Journal of Psychiatry, Arvid Carlsson, and the Story of Dopamine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2824994/
Cambridge University Press, Transporters, receptors, and enzymes as targets of psychopharmacological drug action
http://stahlonline.cambridge.org/essential_4th_chapter.jsf?page=chapter2_summary.htm&name=Chapter%202&title=Summary
Psychiatric Times: Dopamine Receptors in the Human Brain https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/neuropsychiatry/dopamine-receptors-human-brain sychiatric Times: Dopamine Receptors in the Human Brain*
Know Your Brain Reward System: Neurologically Challenged
https://www.neuroscientificallychallenged.com/blog/know-your-brain-reward-system
Psychology Today, The Dopamine Seeking-Reward Loop
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-wise/201802/the-dopamine-seeking-reward-loop
American Marketing Association (This page has inexplicably disappeared!)
https://www.ama.org/publications/MarketingNews/Pages/feeding-the-addiction.aspx
2-Minute Neuroscience: Nucleus Accumbens
Buffer: The Secret Psychology of Facebook: Why We Like, Share, Comment and Keep Coming Back
https://blog.bufferapp.com/psychology-of-facebook
The Pleasure Centres Affected by Drugs
http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_03/i_03_cr/i_03_cr_par/i_03_cr_par.html
Study: Social Media Fires Up Brain's Pleasure Center
https://www.lifewire.com/social-media-stimulates-brain-pleasure-centers-2655245
Neuroscientists: The Nucleus Accumbens and Pavlovian Reward Learning
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3130622/
The Guardian, Has Dopamine Got Us Hooked on Tech?https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/04/has-dopamine-got-us-hooked-on-tech-facebook-apps-addiction
The Guardian, Ex-Facebook President Sean Parker: Site Made to Exploit Human 'Vulnerability
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/09/facebook-sean-parker-vulnerability-brain-psychology
Neuroscientifically Challenged: Know Your Brain: Ventral Tegmental Area
https://www.neuroscientificallychallenged.com/blog/know-your-brain-ventral-tegmental-area
2-Minute Neuroscience: Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
News Medical Life Sciences, What is Dopamine?
https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Dopamine.aspx
Indian Journal of Psychiatry, The Story of Dopamine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2824994/
Simply Psychology, Pavlov's Dogs
https://www.simplypsychology.org/pavlov.html
This post has been voted on by the SteemSTEM curation team and voting trail in collaboration with @utopian-io and @curie.
If you appreciate the work we are doing then consider voting all three projects for witness by selecting stem.witness, utopian-io and curie!
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I'm really, really surprised and gratified. I had such wonderful feedback from "friends", and now the SteemSTEM team makes it better! Thank you SteemSTEM, and @utopian-io, and @curie.
Congratulations from a faithful reader of your blog, Erika not from America :)
I kind of like the fact that this platform doesn't operate according to the current findings on addictive and reward behavior. But only on a rather psychologically personal level. Especially because of the significant difference one can make as a user, if one started like you a year ago and like me (one and a half years ago) here and does not receive the usual rewards anymore, a self-analysis is possible. For one year I was really spoiled by high upvotes and lively movement in the comment area. I had a real high and still I had a moment a few months ago that was before Steemit even went so downhill that I wanted to stop blogging here. According to the scientific theory, it shouldn't be. LOL! So, of course, there are other reasons why individuals want to distance themselves from blogging in good time, even though the reward has come in the usual way.
So for me: I have always written, composed texts and operated a Wordpress blog for several years. It doesn't matter how much the users run away, there seems to be a handful of people who want to read my articles and deal with me. And of course you're right: I'm writing for the sake of self-knowledge.
As for the quality of blogs, I'm quite picky and think that elsewhere on the Internet you can still find much better and more interesting texts and publications than here on Steemit. So basically I'm still here because I found my favorites here and find something interesting or new in time. Since I am also a creature of habit, I am little inclined to work on another crypto platform or to publish there.
I have times, where I write a lot and such, where I come almost completely out of step and almost do not open my Steemit URL any more. But to experience how some of those to whom I had become accustomed are no longer active is sometimes a trigger for one's own sense of listlessness to get involved. One is captured by an overall mood.
The operators should actually do something about it, so I agree with you in everything. But apart from dopamines, I would like to respond in the tradition of a German business magazine "brandeins", which skilfully presents the success of companies. They talk about founders and entrepreneurs whose success always includes something very personal. The business leaders have that certain something, charisma, personal conviction and a great sense for their employees and all those who have helped a business to success. It is not enough to have a good business idea, to master the technology, to interest investors, to do proper marketing. Somehow, there is a lack of zest, a deeper interest that is tangible beyond financial success. Some Steemit bloggers have represented this company in a far more enthusiastic way than Steemit Inc. itself. Even if it is often claimed that the users are the operators of their own success or failure, I think this is exaggerated, since one has no influence on the structure and the access possibilities. Therefore it cannot be an "own business".
Here it becomes clear that the great distance that lies between the users and the operator Steemit Inc. does not seem to cause them to honestly sympathize if someone has lost Steemit as his source of income. One could discuss this controversially and say: as long as it lasted, it was a source no one had expected. Opportunities come and go. One should not rely too much on any of them.
Maybe the strength will come from those bloggers. Nothing in my background prepares me to give up on anything... so I'll keep trying. There is so much talent here, I think Steemit Inc. might take heed for its own self interest. I hope so. I do know I 'm here for the long haul. Of course there are other opportunities out there, but this has so much potential. Let's hope a turnaround is possible.
$rewarding 100% 14min
Some rewards for releasing dopamine :)
Posted using Partiko Android
Thank you so much...I'm glad it hit the right note. I love the platform, the people, the opportunity. Want the platform to succeed. You're an important part of that!
Happy Anniversary @agmoore! You are spot on and Ned needs to read this to make Steemit an all around success. Wishing you another successful and fun year, and I am looking forward to your informative posts. : )
Thank you, my dear. You're one of the people I was talking about when I said I "have 'met' wonderful people here." Look forward to engaging for another 365 days!
Aw, thank you. I feel the same about you also. Hugs! I am so glad that we have become friends. : )
Congratulations! For you are still writing books instead of posts ;-))))) i have to read it later. But now i can tell you, that i am glad to have found "you" some months ago ;-)))
Hey @kadna,
Don't forget to read the article.
It's perfect.
Cheers
Posted using Partiko Android
Hi that is funny reading you here...the world is a village ;-) thanks for reminding ❤
Posted using Partiko Android
No trouble!
Good content is attractive that's why we found us here I think.
Grüße
So glad to see you @kadna! Can't cure me. But I think, if you read this you will agree I had to use a lot of words to make an important case. See you around, friend.
Keep Steemin :)
I'm sorry that I missed your anniversary post. My belated congratulations to you for a full year here and for writing the best milestone post that I've read on here, @Agmoore! 🎊
I appreciate that the creators of the Partiko app utilized this understanding of how to encourage engagement. Points given (which can be applied towards a vote on your post) for upvoting, commenting and posting have proven to be successful in drawing in a plethora of current users of the blockchain. If only the darned resource credit stranglehold for new users could be reduced. Maybe an allowance or waivement of fees to newbies so that they can conduct their transactions for free for their first month?
It's been a delight to get to know you and I consider the friendships that I've made to be the best reward from my time here on this platform.
As I've been pretty much away from activity on here in the last month, I missed the opportunity to upvote this fantastic piece. As a belated anniversary gift, I've sent for 2 SBI shares for you. 🤗
I hope that you are having a wonderful day, Agmoore!
Wow, brisby, you sure know how to do anniversaries! Thank you.
I love Steemit. Don't know anything about the aps. I'm not very clever with the technology here, and I'm afraid to share my keys with anyone, but I love this platform. As you say, the friends. The camaraderie. The ability to reach across continents as though they don't exist. To reach across disciplines...to play at being an artist, to try to be a writer, to learn science and master difficult concepts. Of course at the bottom of it all is crypto. That does add the spice, the extra zing, but I'm almost not aware of it. To me it's like monopoly money. Every now and then I think, wow, if this adds up I can leave it to my kids. I would be heartbroken if this endeavor somehow collapsed. So it won't, I'm determined.
Thank you, my squirrelly friend--for your generous present, your kind words and your friendship.
I hope your absence in the last month was voluntary and not due to illness or difficult circumstances.
Thank you, Agmoore! My time away has been a combo of work, emotional blah with a side of family drama and a merry round of ICK going around and around my home. (After we JUST were rid of the last one! 😷 I was Mama Nurse Squirrel and then I was Patient Squirrel and now I'm considering becoming Travels to a Remote Island with WiFi Squirrel. 😂
It's understandable to be leery of sharing keys. If only there was a world where there weren't thieves... So far I've had no troubles with steemconnect but perhaps I should knock on some wood. 😉
Sorry :(
Hope spring brings the family better health!
Thank you for your wishes, Agmoore! I hope that you're having a terrific day. 🤗
:))
Congrats on your anniversary!
I agree with you that human interaction is what would make Steemit work. Every time I see the bot voting on my article I feel ... well disappointed and somehow sad and lonely. And even one "real" vote from a friend and I can feel the dopamine and endorphin rush :) I have noticed that I don't feel happier if a post has made more "money" but doesn't have any comments. And I feel better if I have "earned" a dollar but have a full comment section on the other hand.
So, being poor, but having friends is a better Steemit combination for me :D Of course, being "rich" and having friends would be perfect :D
So, nice to meet you @agmoore! I have read some of your posts before but I can't remember if I have left a comment. See you around!
Thank you so much for stopping by to "celebrate" with me! I've seen your posts and comments, also, and am not sure if I have commented. I do tend to communicate and share my opinions, so probably I have.
Yeah, I want to be "rich", too, but have walked away from jobs in the past that weren't personally rewarding. So money isn't enough for me, either. I hope the rational argument I've tried to make finds resonance in bloggers who have had the same thoughts. You never know.... maybe somehow we can make a difference.
I'll see you around the platform--looking forward to it!
Oh, I know so well what you are talking about!!! All of my professional life I have been torn between working for good money and working for satisfaction and joy. I have always chosen the second one but unfortunately, I haven't been in peace with myself about it. It seems like there is no right answer for me in real life :/ Here, on Steemit is easier to choose :) Haha, one's choice is still a beta :D
We have to eat. That's a fact. We have families that depend on us. That's a fact. And yet, we have this one life. Conflict, conflict, conflict.
Somehow, it worked out for me, not without struggle. I'm not rich. Never made a lot of money, but I can say (except for worrying about my adult children and regretting some things I did in my past) that I am a reasonably happy person.
I'm much further down the road than you are. Hope you will say the same some day (minus the regrets).
Thank you very much, @agmoore! I don't know if it is even possible for a sane person to have no regrets :/ But being at peace with your choice, I hope I can make that happen to me, too :)
I hope so too, :)
Now THAT I call an anniversary post. I found it very informative, and I completely agree: Steemit should aim at incentivizing engagement with more than just money to get that sustainable "machine".
However, STEEM as a blockchain is more than just Steemit. It's not just blogging and social media, but also app development, gaming, investment, etc. etc. I think that makes it so hard to apply better psychological incentives for social media - like interactions. Do that, and you put the other section of our blockchain on disadvantage. The key would probably be to split the different areas to distinct apps/communities that operate on the same blockchain, as it is planned with SMTs.
Thanks so much for those comments.
I do think the investment end of this is essential to the Steem ecology. Crypto helps to distinguish us from Twitter and Facebook. But if we let that investment character drive and color all the activity on the platform, we limit growth to a niche audience. So, yeah, bring on the SMTs (I don't really understand them). I'm ready. I'll even buy, if it seems appropriate. But free the social media aspect of the blockchain from the grasping, competitive, hunting, winner-takes-all mentality of rationed resources. Everybody should feel like a winner every time they engage here. Because every time someone feels like a loser, the platform loses.
Well, what do I know? All I really have to go on is personal experience and a little research. I want the good parts of Steemit to succeed. There's a lot to fight for.
Keep Steemin--I will. See you around :)
An anniversary post that doubles as a science post! (or is it the other way around?) What an amazing idea! And original as far as I know. And also a recommendation-for-future-direction post. And well-argued.
From early on, I made the conscious decision to make this more than about money, since at any time this could fail miserably. So I made this a training camp for blogging: I learn about a topic, and I learn how to write. So maybe, in the future, when I'm a better writer, and hopefully have near-exhaustive knowledge of the topics I've chosen, I will start writing, let's say, for Medium, beginning with rehearsing and revamping my old posts. At any rate, I think any writer must try to earn something else from steemit, and push the monetary reward as far down his list of 'reasons why I do this' as possible. Doing it just for the money is an 'all your eggs in one basket' approach that is highly risky, since you lose everything if that doesn't pan out. But the way I (and I think you, and many others) do it, we will have gained a lot even if steemit fails as a monetary project.
I missed this post, as usual! I noticed you have a new one, but the combo of science with anniversary drew me to read this first! Your audience is growing, I see. Just as I had predicted from the beginning!
I never wrote an anniversary post because I couldn't think of a non-corny way to do it. But you did it.
Happy steemanniversary!
EDIT: Turns out the other one is not yours, it's Erica's. Resteems confuse me!
Ha ha for getting confused. Can't tell you the number of times I've upvoted my own comment when I meant to upvote a reply :)
Thank you for the congratulations. You know, you were a very early supporter. When I was beginning it seemed immaterial to you that I had no SP or Rep. You engaged and helped to make my experience on Steemit a rich one.
As for Medium...have to check it out. Writing comes more easily to me than talking, so I'm always eager to find new outlets.
BTW, tagging you in my next post seems inevitable. For the past month I've slowly been acquainting myself with the topic. (Never heard of it before that!) My approach toward blogging is much like yours: I question, study, learn and write.
Looking forward to your next blog. I do hope Steemit thrives because I like it here :)
Yes, and it wasn't even a 'smart longterm investment' or anything shrewd like that. I'm just genuinely drawn to good content.
Nor had I! I thought I would need to study each tiny discipline-branch that touches on this topic myself, and then I discovered it was already neatly organized into a single field that draws from all these disparate disciplines.