Superstimuli
September 25, 2023 — October 29, 2024
Somewhere around the Goodhart-Moloch-supernormal-alignment-utility-addiction area, we find the concept of superstimuli, things that feel better (or worse) for us than they actually are for us. Because of my background, I am inclined to think of these as Adversarial examples for training humans.
1 Fun recent occurrences of the idea
Erik Hoel, Exit the supersensorium touches upon many themes; dreaming, addiction, myths and the entertainment-industrial complex. See also Living in the Supersensorium - by David Gasca. Musical Heresies by Roger’s Bacon makes the case for music being an evolved superstimulus.
As I mentioned above, there is a connection to adversarial training. While superstimuli might not be created with intent and foreknowledge to blow someone’s mind (they might, though), they often evolve in some kind of competitive process, such as evolution, market competition, or algorithmic optimization.
Spencer Greenberg, On “superstimuli” and their dangers categorizes some things as superstimuli:
- food: Cheetos / Skittles / McDonald’s
- goal achievement: video games
- visual arousal: porn
- pair bonding: romance novels
- affection: dogs
- cuteness: puppies & kittens
- stories: TV
- beauty: photoshopped models
- gossip: celebrity magazines
- social approval: Facebook
Consider also narrative and clickbait.
Should we include recorded music in that list?
Interesting that opiates and other fun drugs are not in there. But without that inclusion, it is easier to argue that they are all examples of things that have been gradually refined over time to improve their effectiveness in getting our attention. Those danged puppies have co-evolved over millennia to give us that loving.
2 Incoming
- Naomi Klein was not the first but maybe the most famous exponent of the idea of branding-as-superstimulus (Klein 2010)
- Time Flies: U.S. Adults Now Spend Nearly Half a Day Interacting with Media
- Moonbug’s ‘CoComelon’ Leaves Nothing to Chance
- The State of the Culture, 2024 - by Ted Gioia