In simple words, social media is the sharing of thoughts, ideas and information through virtual networks. It connects people from all over the world and facilitates the communication of knowledge. It has had an immense impact on society, affecting the way we act and perceive the world around us. However, despite its many qualities, it has also caused deep psychological changes in our brains, from the way we perceive information to how we act and communicate with one another. It has become a pervasive part of our lives, dictating our actions. Below we’ll look into detail about the different psychological effects of social media.
1- Reward Pathways
Having your posts liked, and liking other people's posts on social media activates your brain's reward center, releasing dopamine, also known as “the happy hormone.” It also affects other neural regions of the brain such as social cognition, imitation, and attention. This rewires your brain to want more of what caused the dopamine release, leading to social media addiction. Interestingly enough, studies have shown that brain scanners of heavy social media users look very similar to those addicted to drugs or gambling (Beres).
2- Memories
Researchers have found that memory deficits, especially transactive memory, is linked to heavy social media use. This type of memory relates to deciding what information is important enough to store in your brain and what information can be outsourced. The sharing and storing of experiences, a commonality in social media, has shown to actually lead to a worsening in the person’s memory of said experience, because their brain receives the message that it didn’t need to hold onto information that was stored elsewhere (Firth).
3- Phantom Vibration Syndrome
This refers to when phone users perceive their device to vibrate, indicating that a call or text is incoming, when in fact the phone did not vibrate at all. This reflects a form of hyper vigilance found in the nervous system, indicating a hypersensitiveness to a device. Researchers have found that this has become very common among society. According to CBS News”One study involving 290 U.S. college students found nearly 90 percent of them said they sometimes felt the phantom phone sensations, and 40 percent said it happened at least once a week”(Phantom Vibration…)
4- The Herd Mentality
According to a journal published in the Information Systems Frontiers,the constant use of social media may lead to the herd mentality. This means that you may lose your ability to think and decide for yourself, as you are more likely to accept what is most popular, therefore losing the ability to form your own opinions (Neal).
The examples above are just a few of the many ways in which heavy social media usage negatively impacts our brains. However, there are many options available to try and lessen these negative impacts, among them limiting the amount of time we spend online, setting aside some time to perform other activities, such as sports, socializing, reading a book, etc. These are all activities that are important for your brain health. The key takeaway is that moderation is crucial. Social media has amazing qualities, and those shouldn’t be forgotten. However, it’s important to always maintain a balance between your online and offline life.
Beres, Damon. “10 Hidden Negative Effects of Social Media on Your Brain.” The Healthy, The Healthy, 12 Nov. 2020, https://www.thehealthy.com/mental-health/negative-effects-of-social-media/.
Firth, Joseph, et al. “The ‘Online Brain’: How the Internet May Be Changing Our Cognition.” World Psychiatry : Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., June 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502424/.
McSweeney, Kelly, et al. “The Intersection of Technology, Innovation & Creativity.” Now. Powered by Northrop Grumman, https://now.northropgrumman.com/this-is-your-brain-on-instagram-effects-of-social-media-on-the-brain/.
Neal, Brandi. “7 Ways Social Media Changes Your BRAIN, According to Science.” Bustle, Bustle, 25 May 2018, https://www.bustle.com/p/7-ways-social-media-changes-your-brain-according-to-science-9211397 .
“What Is Phantom Vibration Syndrome?” Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, https://iac.gatech.edu/research/features/what-is-phantom-vibration-syndrome.
“‘Phantom Vibration Syndrome’ Common in Cellphone Users.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 12 Jan. 2016, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/phantom-vibration-syndrome-common-in-cellphone-users/.
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