Why the DOAC podcast thumbnails feel like clickbait
The DOAC podcast has become so clickbait-y.
There's a face - Steven's, or one of his guests, looking concerned, alarmed, or revelatory + "the truth," "they are hiding this," "they don't show this," "before / after."
"if YOU ..., you NEED to see this"
Everything is shocking. Everything is brutal. Everything is the real reason. Everything is being hidden from you.
This format optimises for the dopamine of feeling let in on something. You don't actually have to watch the video. You scroll past, register "they" are hiding this, feel the small flattering jolt of being one of the people who almost found out, and move on.
There's a face - Steven's, or one of his guests, looking concerned, alarmed, or revelatory + "the truth," "they are hiding this," "they don't show this," "before / after."
"if YOU ..., you NEED to see this"
Everything is shocking. Everything is brutal. Everything is the real reason. Everything is being hidden from you.
This format optimises for the dopamine of feeling let in on something. You don't actually have to watch the video. You scroll past, register "they" are hiding this, feel the small flattering jolt of being one of the people who almost found out, and move on.
2 posts about Podcasts · latest 27 Apr 2026