Julia Friese explains what is hidden behind the phenomenon of the “Dopamine Culture”.
Three observations:
1. Searched instead of searching
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Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, i.e. a messenger between the nerve cells. Colloquially, dopamine stands for happiness, or his popular confusion: the feeling of reward. However, dopamine only signals that something positive is imminent. It is an indication of possible happiness, not happiness itself.
Dopamin-Detox has been talking on social media for a few years, and means not being on social media not constantly scrolling in the feed, i.e. being in the constant expectation of something-not for the kick to live for the moment-but better: turn off stimuli and cell phone. Be in now. Endure boredom, so learn to live.
Tasks are devoted to dopamine, but not immediately. It is old: first the work, then the pleasure. According to “The Business of Fashion” (BOF), we are in a “dopamine culture”. According to BOF, an example is the slow change of shopping behavior. In the past you shop online where you went to one side to specifically search for something, now you are looking for. Shopping platforms are increasingly trying to capture the inside-called: Customer-using feed, as otherwise only Instagram or TikTok.
You are now being displayed more and more products that an ALGO has calculated for you that you will like. The second-hand platform “Vinted” works, for example, and particularly catches the fact that in the second-hand game, every article almost only exists once at precisely this price, and exactly in this condition. The offer is bottomless – i.e. in the wordin. You can always get something. You just have to be fast. Buy. You no longer have to search. What you think is beautiful. Over and over again. If the page only loads again.
2nd Malibu, Déjà-vu, Delulu
According to an evaluation of the Institut Français de La Mode (IFM), more pieces-as is now called clothing pieces-were sold via Vinted than via any other fashion provider in the first three months of 2025. And what was bought in 2025? Oh yes, this label, i.e. the plush monsters in boxes without a viewing window. You didn’t know what was in it, but you were in anticipation and poured dopamine.
The author of these lines wrote a dopamine delir about the “constant in expectation”, a novel whose title sounds very similar to Labustu: “Delulu” appeared at Wallstein in February. But more has to come there now? Here in these lines. The index finger wants to pull the side down. Uuu-uh-uuh-is this illegal? IT FEES Illegal. (“Illegal” – PinkPantheress)
3. P (r) op malfunction
So that big concerts in the dopamine feed also make a difference, they are now called with large props-called: props-that are climbed by the big stars to fly over the audience. This can be a red convertible, as on Beyoncés Cowboy-Carter tour, that can be a big cage ball, as with Katy Perry’s 143 tour, this can be an oversized butterfly, as on Katy Perry’s 143 tour.
And it is precisely these devices that all had a so -called “prop Malfunction” this summer – I think that they didn’t work, they apparently brought the singers into danger of cracking into the audience from a dizzying height. What could cause more attention? So cause more dopamine rush than to experience something really blatant?
Uuu-uh-uuh, I’m so excited. Is this illegal? IT FEES Illegal. As to film the giant screen live at the Coldplay concert live, the affair of a company boss with his personnel boss opened the kiss camera in order to finally go viral. FINALLY. Likes. ATTENTION. TRAGEDY. Is this illegal? Uu-uhh-sh! IT FEES Illegal.
This column first appeared in the music express edition 10/2025.