BRAIN
ROT,
ENGINEERED
VISION
AND
NEVER-ENDING
CONSUMPTION
Liviu Poenaru, Feb. 18, 2025
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Ongoing dialogue about value
In the modern era, consumption is no longer a discrete activity confined to moments of explicit decision-making. Neuromarketing research suggests that our brains are engaged in an ongoing dialogue about value, desire, and decision-making, even when we are not actively shopping (Ramsøy, 2019). This challenges traditional economic and psychological models that assume a clear demarcation between ‘shopping mode’ and everyday cognition. Instead, we must recognize that consumer choice is embedded within our constant cognitive processes, shaping not only our purchasing behavior but also our broader perception of the world.
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The engineered vision and the infinite loop of desire
The digital age has ushered in an era where engineered vision dictates our perception of needs and desires. Social media platforms, algorithmic advertisements, and virtual shopping environments have turned the act of consumption into a seamless, continuous process. Every scroll, every ad, and every targeted suggestion fuels an ever-expanding cycle of artificial objectives. The consumer no longer experiences singular moments of desire but rather a flood of micro-goals, each designed to sustain attention and drive engagement (Zuboff, 2019).
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This infinite demultiplication of artificial goals disrupts the natural cycle of satisfaction. Where once a purchase might have marked the resolution of desire, the engineered vision ensures that each acquisition merely leads to another fabricated need. The brain’s reward system, bombarded by stimuli, learns to crave novelty rather than fulfillment. What was once a functional mechanism of decision-making becomes a perpetual search for the next digital high—an endless loop of anticipation and fleeting gratification (Eyal, 2014).
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Neuroscientific research by Thomas Zoëga Ramsøy (2019) further reveals that brand associations activate emotional and memory-related brain regions, embedding product recognition deeply into our cognitive framework. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), hippocampus, and striatum work together to create an implicit preference system that continuously reinforces brand familiarity. This engineered reinforcement makes it nearly impossible to disengage from consumerist cycles, as brands co-opt neural processes related to trust, recognition, and reward-seeking behaviors.
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Scopic colonialism and the commodification of perception
The omnipresence of digital screens, algorithmic curation, and predictive visioning tools has resulted in what can be called scopic colonialism—a regime where human perception is systematically engineered to serve economic and ideological ends. As explored in critical visual studies, particularly in the study of digital capitalism, contemporary consumption is no longer based on individual choice but on a pre-structured visual environment that dictates what is desirable, what is aspirational, and ultimately, what is valuable (Mitchell, 2002). Social media platforms, news feeds, and advertising ecosystems function as perceptual scaffolds that structure cognition before conscious awareness even takes hold.
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This exploitation of human vision operates through several interrelated mechanisms. First, algorithmic reinforcement loops ensure that the most engaging, emotionally charged, or commercially beneficial content dominates our perceptual field. As a result, users are conditioned to prioritize immediacy, spectacle, and hyper-reality over critical reflection (Pariser, 2011). Second, predictive vision technologies manipulate attention by pre-emptively sorting and curating reality, thereby limiting the range of possible choices a consumer believes they have. Lastly, the aestheticization of economic control ensures that platforms present consumption not as a transaction but as a form of personal identity expression, making the act of consumption indistinguishable from the act of self-definition (Zuboff, 2019).
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This form of scopic conditioning renders the individual incapable of distinguishing between what they desire autonomously and what has been pre-imposed by algorithmic governance. The mind becomes a battleground of engineered affective responses, wherein pleasure, validation, and aspiration are dictated externally rather than emerging from genuine subjective needs. This colonization of vision transforms the very structure of perception, anchoring human subjectivity within a framework of hyper-consumption and digital dependency.
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Brain Rot: the cognitive consequence of overload
The overexposure to engineered consumer stimuli leads to a cognitive phenomenon that can be described as ‘brain rot.’ The constant processing of rapid visual stimuli, the ceaseless micro-decisions, and the unrelenting flood of consumption cues induce a kind of neural fatigue. This cognitive overload weakens the brain’s ability to engage in deep, reflective thought, replacing contemplation with instinctive reactions and habitual scrolling (Carrasco, 2011).
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As a result, attention spans fragment, memory becomes cluttered with irrelevant stimuli, and the capacity for critical thinking diminishes. Individuals caught in this loop struggle to engage in meaningful, sustained cognitive efforts, as their neural resources are monopolized by the mechanics of digital consumption. Emotional responses flatten, as the brain, conditioned to seek constant stimulation, becomes desensitized to slower, more deliberate forms of engagement (Grill-Spector & Malach, 2004).
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Ramsøy’s (2019) research suggests that this cognitive decay is not merely a byproduct of excessive engagement but a deliberate feature of the neuromarketing ecosystem. The ‘always-on’ nature of consumer interaction exploits attentional and emotional processes to maintain perpetual engagement. The 4-Power Model of neuromarketing—attention, emotion, cognition, and memory—demonstrates how each interaction is designed to sustain consumption cycles. Even non-material experiences, such as social media interactions, trigger the same reward pathways as purchases, further embedding consumption as a default cognitive state.
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Implications
Understanding that our brains are in a perpetual state of consumption-related processing raises ethical concerns. The ability of brands to influence consumer decisions at a subconscious level underscores the importance of responsible marketing. Transparency in marketing is crucial to ensuring that consumer engagement is based on informed decision-making rather than subliminal manipulation (Ramsøy, 2019). Cognitive load management is necessary to avoid overstimulating consumers through excessive advertising and digital engagement (Carrasco, 2011). Another key aspect is sustainable consumption practices, which involve recognizing that experiences—not just material products—drive consumer satisfaction and reducing unnecessary consumption (Zuboff, 2019).
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The power of artificial intelligence has now invaded not only our cognition but also our biology, making counteractions increasingly ineffective in this escalating war of intelligences. The integration of AI-driven neuromarketing techniques directly into our neural circuits raises new ethical and existential dilemmas, further blurring the line between autonomy and algorithmic control. The strategies proposed to counteract these effects—mindful awareness, cognitive buffering, critical media literacy, cognitive resistance training, and scopic detoxification—are proving to be largely ineffective against the sophisticated manipulation of AI systems. As these technologies evolve, their ability to predict, influence, and override human decision-making surpasses the capacity for individual resistance, rendering traditional cognitive defense mechanisms obsolete. The overwhelming pervasiveness of AI-driven consumer manipulation suggests that systemic interventions, rather than individual strategies, may be the only viable path forward.
Never exit consumer mode
The notion that we never truly exit ‘consumer mode’ challenges longstanding assumptions in psychology, economics, and marketing. The rise of engineered vision and infinite consumer loops has redefined how desire is manufactured and sustained. As Ramsøy’s (2019) research illustrates, our neural circuits are constantly engaging in valuation processes, meaning every interaction—whether digital or physical—feeds into an ongoing consumer dialogue. By integrating insights from scopic colonialism, it becomes clear that the consumption imperative is no longer a personal choice but an engineered necessity. Recognizing this can help both marketers and consumers navigate an increasingly immersive and influential commercial landscape. In an era of hyper-connectivity, the key challenge is not just how to sell, but how to sustain ethical, meaningful, and conscious consumption in an ‘always-on’ world.
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References
Carrasco, M. (2011). Visual attention: The past 25 years. Vision Research, 51(13), 1484–1525.
Eyal, N. (2014). Hooked: How to build habit-forming products. Portfolio.
Grill-Spector, K., & Malach, R. (2004). The human visual cortex. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 27, 649–677.
Mitchell, W. J. T. (2002). Landscape and power (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.
Pariser, E. (2011). The filter bubble: How the new personalized web is changing what we read and how we think. Penguin Press.
Ramsøy, T. Z. (2019). Introduction to neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience. Neurons Inc.
Zuboff, S. (2019). The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power. PublicAffairs.
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