I came across this video today and I thought it would be interesting to share it. It explores the ways social media is affecting our brain. Below are the main points mentioned in the video:
- Social media can be a psychological addiction - brain scans show a similar impairment of regions that those with drug dependents have
- Heavy media users perform much worse during task switching tests
- Phantom Vibration Syndrome - the psychological phenomena where you think your phone buzzed but it didn’t
- Social media triggers a release of dopamine (‘feel good chemical’)
- 80% of social media communication is self-involved
- Partners tend to like each other more if they meet online
Although the above facts might not relate to everyone, I find that most are true to younger generations. I find that most of my friends and myself end up on our phones checking social media whenever there is nothing to say or do. However I feel that personally I can still hold a long conversation with someone without using social media, but there are times when I try to multitask between talking to someone in person whilst also talking to someone on social media. Doing this can potentially damage the relationship with both the people you are talking to as you are not giving them your full attention.
This video makes you think about how much time we are spending online and how dependant we have become on social media so much so that we even imagine our phone vibrating when it isn’t.
References and Sources Used:
ROSEN, L., 2013. Phantom Pocket Vibration Syndrome.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/rewired-the-psychology-technology/201305/phantom-pocket-vibration-syndrome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HffWFd_6bJ0