Immersive Distraction

Nowadays, media, especially TikTok, YouTube, and other short videos, are highly effective at attracting people to scroll endlessly, much like gambling machines designed to foster addiction. The algorithms stimulate dopamine release by pushing content users want to see but ultimately leave viewers feeling empty, often unaware of what they have just watched. Our brains simply cannot process this overstimulation.

My installation is an interactive way to engage my audience, highlighting the distraction most of us encounter today, looking at our phones instead of engaging with daily life. The blame is often placed on us, but the device's stimulation makes it almost impossible to ignore. In my installation, viewers can experience this difficulty, trying to focus on the large background photograph of a “beautiful tree” while dealing with the loud, short TikTok reels on the devices ahead. Although tablets and phones are physically much smaller than the background image, they hold all the power in the space.