How social media is rewiring our minds.

 “What the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. Whether I’m online or not, my mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles.’’ - Nicholas G. Carr

The beginning of the internet started in 1969 known as ‘’ARPANET’’ which was originally intended as a way to potentially connect computers nationwide. Before the invention of the worldwide internet, the internet was not so easy to browse. Until Tim Berners-Lee who not only invented the worldwide internet, but he is best known for the creation of a URL system, and the ‘https’’ as a way for computers to communicate with servers. This was a huge milestone as it allowed people to surf the internet for information, academic, and entertainment purposes. The world was changing at a rapid pace, and by the end of 2005 Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Skype, YouTube, and Wikipedia are one of the most iconic platforms today. However, in recent years psychologists, researchers, and behavioral scientists have been showcasing the negative cognitive effects of social media. Which leads to the ultimate question is social media rewiring our minds?

The main negative effect that social media has done to contribute to the rewiring of our minds, is altering our brains chemistry which affects our reward system. Dopamine is our body’s natural reward chemical that contributes in many positive ways in our everyday life. Dopamine can help us feel pleasure, motivation, learn, and focus. However, too much of something is never good and social media can negatively influence the over consumption of dopamine. We can eventually fall victim to becoming addicted to social media which can have devastating effects on our attention span, learning, and motivation. According to MDPI addictive features of social media explains ‘’ Pictures being presented with many Likes elicit stronger activity in the ventral striatum, an area involved of the processing of a rewards [74,75]. It has even been demonstrated that lower gray matter volumes of the nucleus accumbens are associated with longer and higher frequent usage of the Facebook app on smartphones underlining its addictive power’’ (C. M. al.)  MDPI gives the scientific explanation of how social media gives us the constant dopamine effect. They also talk about how addictive platforms such as Facebook can be to individuals, but why is Facebook so addictive?

It’s not uncommon for social media platforms to ‘accidentally’ become addictive to their consumers. In fact, companies purposely try and search for ways to keep their consumers hooked for company profits. Social media platforms have achieved this by incorporating the Algorithmic effect, which promotes the user to experience ‘Infinite scrolling’. PubMed Central states ‘Another important component is algorithm-driven content, which personalizes the posts that users view based on their previous interactions and preferences. Adolescents are more likely to see posts that are relevant to their preferences because of this customization, which also makes the material displayed more relevant. Studies indicate that this focused scheme not only enhances user participation but also builds a stronger bond with the platform [13]’’ (J. A. al.)

 PMC explains the algorithmic effect on adolescence based on relevancy, and previous interactions. However, in most cases users will say they have experienced ‘infinite scrolling’ which has been reported that it lasts for hours and hours on end. PubMed Central presents the idea that ‘infinite scroll feature is one of the most important design components. This feature makes it possible for users to explore content constantly and uninterruptedly, resulting in a smooth experience that promotes extended use. Infinite scrolling makes it simple for users to lose track of time and engage in prolonged platform sessions by doing away with natural stopping points like page breaks [1,12]. (J. A. al.) PubMed Central presents the idea of how companies initiate the Algorithmic effect to promote infinite scrolling to users. This affects the consumers but helps these big corporations make huge profits daily.

 “We’re always on, always plugged in, always stimulated, always in a constant state of self-presentation.” -unknown (Illing) In all, social media platforms were designed to become highly addictive to the user. Using algorithms to hook their consumer in order for them to maximize their experience on the platform. However, it has been shown that these platforms have negatively impacted the brain’s neuro chemistry which leads to our brains being rewired.

Not only is social media highly addictive to its consumers, but it has also been shown that it affects adolescents more in recent years. Most adolescents say they have a hard time communicating with others, keeping relationships, and having a sense of self. According to PMC they explain that teenagers are more likely to be influenced by social media, which influences their interactions, lifestyle, and identity. (D. O. al.) Although social media can help boost interactions with others, many adolescents have said they experience having a challenging time holding or having a conversation with others in real time. Most people prefer to text a friend or have a conversation online. As stated by SpringerLink  ‘’The participants were asked if their social interactions have changed since they were first exposed to social media (Table 1). One participant stated that “it is easier to just look at a social media page to see how friends and family are doing rather than have a one-on-one interaction.” (Yerika Jimenez)

Showing Jimenez work it seems that people feel more comfortable having online interactions instead of real time. I believe the main reason is that most people don’t know how to have a proper conversation anymore since the rise of social media platforms. The long-term damaging effects of social media in Adolescents have led to experiencing communication issues and maintaining healthy relationships as well to influencing their lifestyle.

In Conclusion, social media has rewired our minds throughout the years. Even though the internet is still very young, and new things are still being added to maximize the experience. Negative effects have already been shown by alternating our brain chemistry, attention and memory span, also affecting many individuals’ emotional health. Although, social media can be a great tool to communicate with others and develop connections. It has seen to cause more negative effects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

al., Christian Montag et. Addictive Features of Social Media/Messenger Platforms and Freemium Games against the Background of Psychological and Economic Theories. 23 July 2019. <https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/14/2612>.

al., Dragana Ostic et. PubMed Central (PMC). 21 June 2021. <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8255677/>.

al., Jashvini Amirthalingam et. Understanding Social Media Addiction: A Deep Dive. 27 October 2024. <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11594359/>.

al., Jolanda Jetten et. Wiley Online Library . 6 May 2024. <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.3070>.

CLRN TEAM. CLRN (California Learning Resource Center). 17 October 2024. <https://www.clrn.org/how-does-social-media-affect-attention-span/>.

Illing, Sean. Vox. 27 March 2018. <https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/3/27/17085282/technology-facebook-social-media-sherry-turkle>.

NeuroLaunch Team. NeuroLaunch. 14 January 2025. <https://neurolaunch.com/cognitive-effects-of-social-media/>.

Yerika Jimenez. Springer Nature Link. 21 July 2015. <https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-21383-5_15#citeas>.