In these modern days almost everyone is using social media platforms such as instagram, twitter, Facebook and many more. We use them when we’re bored and we see them as a distraction or a way to pass time. But have you ever though about the effects of social media?
People use social media to either escape reality and mindlessly scroll or they want to express themselves and their opinions, thoughts and beliefs freely and anonymously. Whenever they get a new a follower or a like, it stimulates the brain’s ’reward system’.
Why are we so inclined towards social media and is there a reason behind it? The answer is yes, social media addiction is very real, due to the two chemicals our brain produces- dopamine and oxytocin.
Dopamine was believed to be a pleasure chemical in the brain, but now scientists have realized it actually creates want and desire. It’s stimulated by small bits of information and unpredictability. It plays a part in the ‘reward center’ of the brain. It’s supposed to reward you by making you feel good when you’re doing something necessary for survival such as eating, sleeping, and staying hydrated. And when you’re scrolling through social media. The pull of dopamine is so strong that people find it extremely difficult to resist.
But dopamine’s not the only chemical causing social media addiction. Oxytocin is another. Whenever you use social media, in approximately 10 minutes, oxytocin levels can rise as much as 13%! That’s a hormonal increase equivalent to some people’s on their wedding days. Can you believe it? And when this happens people feel a sense of relief, trust, happiness an other positive emotions. Due to this, social media users are more likely to feel people can be trusted.
While all this may sound great, social media has its negative effects too. It can tend to make us more lonely, isolated and can cause us to feel depressed. It can also make us compare ourselves to others and make us feel like we’re not good enough or inferior to others.
Social media can make us addicted and make us feel insecure and inferior at times, but it’s not a bad thing. Social media is good for the world even though it has its disadvantages and advantages.
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