Launched by Apple in 2007, the smartphone has revolutionised our daily lives. Today, three billion users worldwide spend an average of 3 hours 45 minutes connected, mainly on social apps. Why are we devoting more and more time to them? Why is it so hard to resist Whatsapp notifications? What is the real role of the Facebook ‘like’? How do you explain the feeling of losing track of time on TikTok? What are the mental health risks associated with Instagram, particularly for young adults? It all starts with dopamine, a neuromediator that activates the reward system in an area of our brain that includes the stratum and the prefrontal cortex. A precious molecule whose power has not escaped the notice of tech companies, whether based in Silicon Valley or China. Their mission: to capture our attention and make us ever more dependent on social networks developed in the greatest secrecy and which are constantly evolving.

In laboratories from Paris to Lyon, from Düsseldorf to Ulm and Berlin, scientists specialising in neuroscience and psychology are carrying out an increasing number of studies to understand the influence of social networks on our behaviour and their impact on our self-esteem. Featuring interviews with researchers, archive footage and playfully staged experiments, this educational documentary, which explains how apps are designed to be addictive, looks at how we use them and considers the solutions available to us to regain - a little - control over our time and our lives.