The human brain is wired to fear scarcity and solve problems. When technology and capitalism fulfill most basic needs, this problem-solving instinct doesn't disappear. It latches onto more abstract, often social or political, issues, fueling neurosis and creating a population that externalizes its anxieties onto the world.

Modern society turns normal behaviors like eating or gaming into potent drugs by manipulating four factors: making them infinitely available (quantity/access), more intense (potency), and constantly new (novelty). This framework explains how behavioral addictions are engineered, hijacking the brain’s reward pathways just like chemical substances.

Young people face a dual crisis: economic hardship and a psychological barrage from social media's curated success. This creates a "shame economy," where constant notifications of others' fake wealth intensify feelings of failure, loneliness, and anxiety more than any other societal factor.

The insatiable human thirst for dominance—whether colonizing planets, controlling aging, or possessing a partner—is not just about ego or curiosity. It's rooted in a profound inner void and insecurity. We try to control the external world because we are not whole within.

Our desire for consumption isn't innate; it was engineered. Kate Raworth highlights how Edward Bernays, Sigmund Freud's nephew, applied psychotherapy principles to advertising. He created "retail therapy" by convincing us that buying things could satisfy fundamental human needs for love, admiration, and belonging.

The sharp rise in teens feeling their lives are useless correlates directly with the smartphone era. Technology pulls them from productive activities into passive consumption, preventing the development of skills and a sense of purpose derived from contribution.

Historically, financial comparison was contained within socioeconomically similar neighborhoods. Social media removes these geographic and social barriers, constantly exposing individuals to global, hyper-affluent lifestyles. This distorts the perception of 'normal,' making luxury seem common and fueling widespread feelings of financial inadequacy.

Psychiatrist Anna Lemke links rising rates of depression and anxiety in the world's richest nations to the overstimulation of our dopamine pathways. Constant access to high-pleasure foods, entertainment, and products creates a chronic dopamine deficit state, leaving people unhappier, more irritable, and unable to enjoy simple pleasures.

Humans learn what to want by observing others (mimetic desire). Social media expands our 'comparison set' to the entire world's curated highlights, creating a recipe for discontent. The solution is to be highly intentional about who you compare yourself to, carefully curating your inputs to align with your actual values and well-being.