Immagini-dopamina e ‘swipe pavloviano’

Abstract

This essay analyzes the anthropological and neurocognitive changes triggered by algorithmic images and the interaction dynamics of mobile devices, with particular emphasis on the Pavlovian swipe mechanism and infinite scrolling. The author explores how the compulsive consumption of fragmented content, such as social network reels and feeds, acts as a veritable ‘cognitive siphon’, activating dopaminergic circuits linked to intermittent reward that reduce the subject’s agency and erode their capacity for critical thinking. Through a perspective that intertwines the socioeconomic analysis of late capitalism, neuroscience, and postphotographic theory, the study highlights the transition from ocular consumption to haptic exploration of the image, where technical gestures actively shape perception. The text concludes with a call for an updated pedagogy of the visual and critical visual literacy to counter emotional anesthesia and algorithmic control of subjectivity.