In the digital age, a single post can transform an ordinary person into an overnight sensation. The chase for viral fame is becoming a common hunt, but beyond the quick bursts of likes, shares and views, there is a deeper effect on the brain that often goes unnoticed.
Dr. Savira Sidhu, a psychiatrist currently working at the Orlando Veterans Association Medical Center, has identified a pattern in going viral, in which users chase viral moments to reach a dopamine hit once more.
“Going viral can be addictive because everybody likes it,” Sidhu said. “ at’s how addiction sets in.”
Dopamine, a chemical in the brain associated with pleasure, surges when people receive likes, shares and comments on their posts. However, seeking dopamine too often can have consequences.
“Long-term effects [of repeatedly seeking dopamine hits] could be dopamine depletion,” Sidhu said. “You can have so much depletion
that you are exhausted, anxious, depressed, nervous, not able to concentrate and not able to sleep. That’s not good for anyone.”
Sophomore Victoria Moore, who has gone viral multiple times with 6.2 million views and 1.2 million likes on her top video, felt tempted to continue posting in hopes of going viral once more.
“After I gained a lot of followers, I started thinking that I should post more,” Moore said. “I did it to see if I would continue to go viral.”
In the midst of the football season last fall, sophomore James Ellzey posted a relatable video about football that blew up on TikTok, accumulating 100,000 views and 20,000 likes. Ellzey said the sudden burst of popularity definitely impacted his mood and his overall approach to social media afterwards.
“It made a random day feel like a great day,” Ellzey said. “[Going viral] makes you want to post more videos … to gain attention.”
However, this pressure to post more after gaining popularity doesn’t reach all social media users. Despite her viral success, Moore has maintained her usual posting habits.
“I still post what I would usually post despite having more followers,” Moore said. “I really have not been pressured to post more by other people.”
Although some may remain unfazed, social media platforms are designed to reward attention-grabbing content. Algorithms on platforms like TikTok and Instagram favor posts with high engagement, encouraging users to create more appealing content to stay relevant.
Andrew and Eric Befumo, known by their pseudonyms AJ and Big Justice, have hooked the social media world with
their reviews of Costco products. Following their rapid success, they created the viral song “We Bring the Boom,” garnering national attention, including an appearance on “ The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
The ordinary father-son duo became social media stars in less than a year. Since the duo posted their first video in January of 2023, they have accumulated over 77.8 million likes and 2.5 million followers on Instagram alone.
The surge of likes and views on their content served as powerful positive reinforcement, pushing AJ and Big Justice to create more videos. Success drew in others around the duo as well. Seeing their success, AJ’s wife, Mama Justice, and daughter, Ashley, joined the social media scene with TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat accounts, hoping to share in the family’s recent fame.
“People going viral get positive reinforcement from the likes and views,” Sidhu said. “That certainly drives them [to post more].”
The constant validation through likes and views feeds into a deeper desire for recognition. It pushes social media users to keep posting in hopes of obtaining or maintaining their fame. This drive is not solely about temporary success; it reaches a fundamental human need for a legacy.
“[People seek fame] because it is an innate desire in every human being to be remembered forever,” Sidhu said.