Is Social Media Actually Bad for the Brain?
An honest take on social media platforms and their effect on the human brain
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
In a world where content is king, social media follows us everywhere. For a lot of us it is inescapable. But is it really as evil and bad for the brain that we think it is?
Well, yes. And no.
According to Psychology Today, technology complicates our daily world but the way humans interact is different. Humans have a need to be social in order to survive. This has not changed even with screens glued to our hands.
When we achieve what can be called “social success”, dopamine is released in the brain the same as using social media platforms and obtained likes. Humans have a natural fear of death and in some cases “social” death which explains the visceral response to feeling abandoned. A social media post garnering no likes feels similar to how our ancestors would feel after being “banished” from their tribe.
The human brain, unfortunately, has a hard time differentiating between real and perceived threats. This is why internet arguments and confrontations occur so frequently by people who feel powerful behind a screen. Cowards are brave on social media.
