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The Secret Dopamine Epidemic in Our Generation
Camillo discusses what he calls the dopamine epidemic of our generation — the overstimulation and constant pursuit of instant gratification that’s quietly shaping our mental health. He suggests we still don’t fully understand the long-term effects of this phenomenon.
He adds that alongside this, we’re also facing an information overload epidemic. We now have unprecedented access to information, especially about relationships and social dynamics. In the past, our limited access made us a bit more naïve — which, paradoxically, created a healthier balance between the good and the bad. Today, algorithms front-load us with negativity, outrage, and comparison.
Jack points out that for a video to perform well online, it almost has to trigger someone, which incentivizes creators to rely on fear-based content just to stay relevant.
Using TikTok as an Investing Strategy
Chris explains that his investing strategy relies on being able to detect cultural change as it happens. He spends roughly four hours a night studying how people think, communicate, and behave — primarily by reading comments on TikTok.
He dives into different communities, often far outside his personal interests, to understand what excites, frustrates, or motivates people. He calls this process “mining for gold” — identifying early signals of social shifts that might impact consumer behavior or investment trends.
According to Chris, this approach reveals how fragmented and fast-moving culture has become. Instead of annual shifts, he now observes new trends emerging weekly.
Examples of Cultural Signals and Market Impact
He gives the example of Labubu’s popularity, noting that Pop Mart’s stock tripled in value as the toy went viral. He tracks not just hype but also backlash — like when a viral video accused the toy’s design of being “satanic.” While not an immediate sell signal, moments like these prompt him to monitor sentiment for potential turning points.
He mentions a similar case with Celsius energy drinks, where a viral (and false) video claimed the product contained arsenic. The rumor spread across TikTok, leading to a temporary slowdown in the company’s growth. He also notes a parallel with viral claims that Prime drinks contained cyanide.
These examples demonstrate how social conversation drives brand perception and demand. By paying attention to these early conversations, Chris believes he can anticipate consumer behavior — knowing what people will buy before they buy it.
Why Wall Street Misses It
Chris emphasizes that conversational data — what people are actually saying online — is one of the most powerful yet underutilized datasets on Wall Street. Wall Street tends to ignore it because institutional investors prefer long-term, five-year-correlation data.
He points out that this kind of qualitative, human-driven data requires strong interpretation skills — understanding intent and emotion behind language.
Interestingly, he says it took Wall Street nearly two decades just to adopt Google Search Trends as a legitimate data source. Despite all their resources, he found that many top firms are shockingly traditional — their incentives discourage risk-taking and novel thinking.
Because of this institutional inertia, Chris believes retail investors now have an edge. Unlike big firms that are stuck in groupthink, independent traders can move fast, think differently, and use real-time cultural signals to make smarter plays.
What Chris has Learned about Humans From Reading Millions of Tiktok Comments
Chris describes TikTok as the sunny side of social media — a platform that reveals how deeply people crave connection and relatability. After reading millions of comments, he’s fascinated by the way users bond over shared emotions with people they’ll never meet in real life.
He notes that TikTok comment sections are their own kind of community — a space where people feel safe to express themselves without needing to appear “cool” or curated. Unlike other platforms, TikTok encourages honesty, vulnerability, and even a little weirdness.
Chris points out that this raw authenticity is what makes TikTok so special. For many younger users, it’s a home for outcasts — those who might not feel comfortable on Instagram’s polished, image-driven landscape. On TikTok, imperfection is celebrated; your quirks and oddities can actually help you find your people.
He contrasts this with Instagram, where polish performs better, while TikTok rewards the organic and imperfect. The difference, he says, lies in the DNA of each platform: Instagram thrives on aspiration, while TikTok thrives on relatability.
From an investor’s perspective, Chris sees this as invaluable. Platforms like TikTok give him a real-time window into human behavior — a place where people express what they genuinely think, want, and feel.
For someone studying cultural shifts and consumer psychology, there’s no better data than people being real.