Dopamine sites sell nothing, and people cannot get enough

Dopamine sites play with the notion that much of the pleasure of an indulgence comes from the anticipation of it.

NEW YORK – Products that do not exist. Meal deliveries that will never make it to the front door. Smoke breaks lacking the most important ingredient.

All this and more – or is it less? – is available on so-called dopamine sites, which offer nothing tangible and yet have somehow become wildly popular as people navigate a digital landscape that cultivates consumption.