Hooked on the Feed

Fishing with symbols instead of bait, the cats cast their lines into a digital current where what rises from the water is not nourishment, but attention—measured in emojis, likes, and fleeting reward. What begins as playful instinct quickly shifts into spectacle. One cat isn’t hunting for food at all, but for a reaction, weaponising the catch to shock, scare, and provoke. The other is frozen mid-moment: surprised, alarmed, exposed.

A prank becomes the prize. Impact outweighs intention. Surprise becomes entertainment, and reaction becomes currency. Rendered through the familiar language of symbols and icons, the scene mirrors the mechanics of social media itself—spaces designed for connection that quietly evolve into systems of dependence. Empathy slips behind engagement. We are no longer simply scrolling the feed; like the startled cat, we are inside it. And somewhere off-frame, the hook is already being recast.