This is a fascinating writeup.

Reflecting on this, it feels like online behaviors generate rewards that are explicit and external, where offline behaviors are subtle and self-generated. A FB ‘like’ is something that I can quantify, and it’s a reward given to me from someone who is not me.

This is much different than an offline behavior, where my positive actions that align with my values (building meaningful relationships, paying homage and experiencing self-reflection at a Holocaust display, etc) are rewarded subtly from the self, little dopamine releases that originate through self-reflection.

It begs the question: could any online interaction be reconciled with the ways we reward ourselves through organic, offline behavior?