How Social Media Shapes Our Senses

In December 2023, @mariavehera257 sits perfectly styled in her car and takes a hearty bite of a chocolate bar—something the food influencer does regularly for her roughly three million followers. A crack fills the air as thin golden strands separate inside the chocolate bar and a thick, glossy green filling slowly oozes out. Watching, you can almost taste it: crunchy, creamy, rich, sweet—all at once. Overwhelmed by the sensory experience, Vehera devours the bar with relish, bite by bite. This short video, barely 30 seconds long and posted on TikTok, racked up over 120 million views and millions of shares in record time. What went viral wasn’t just a chocolate bar—it was a full-blown taste experience, a hype storm that swept the globe