Essay on Psychological Impact of Social Media

Introduction

Acceleration of information and communication needs by businesses and individuals using available online spaces and its collection of tools is what is referred to as social media. There is no doubt that the advent of social media has revolutionized communication channels between individuals for the better. The following are the common types of social media and how they differ from each other:

1. WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook are social networking sites that assist in dissemination of information and marketing.
2. Pinterest, Snapchat, and Instagram are media sharing networking sites that are commonly utilized for sharing videos, photos and other media content.
3. Quora is a discussion forum. It is mostly used for finding news, information, sharing information and having discussions.
4. Tumblr is the most popular social blogging network site and is used for reaching good writers, help people demonstrate their skills and knowledge as well as share information.

Each one of us uses some sort of social media in the current cultural and technological climate. In tandem with Perloff (2014), 89% of individuals between 17 and 29 years old utilize some kind of social media. In comparison, 79% of the 30 to 49 age bracket reported the use of some sort of social media. In the next age group, the numbers of social media users dip but not significantly since 63% of individuals between 50 and 64 years old consume social media routinely. This exposes the prevalent use of social media in our societies and culture since this is a generation that was never raised in the internet or social media age. More focus should be given to the effects on individual users since social media has pervaded across all ages. The way we absorb information and think is being changed by social media’s connection and endless stream of communication. Presently, people across the world are developing habits related to social media that are beneficial as much as they can be harmful to their health mentally. Since these newly acquired social media habits are poised to continue relentlessly, it is incumbent upon scholars and researchers to analyze and determine the effects of social media on the mental health of our increasingly connected communities.

The brain and social media

In unique ways, various brain functions are affected by social media use from a neurological perspective. The impact of social media on the brain appears in different ways since it contains numerous combinations of stimuli that can elicit varied reactions. Multiple brain parts are affected by positive attention on social media. Instagram, Twitter or Facebook likes result in the activation of areas around ventral tegmental and striatum. These are the same areas of the brain that are activated when one receives likes from other people. In people’s bodies, the rewards system is determined primarily by the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA). In part, dopamine receptors are facilitated by VTA and they are fired off in the brain when one receives positive feedback (likes) when using social media.

Best et al. (2014) carried out a study that revealed similar results. The researchers monitored the activity of the brain using MRI technology. The study revealed that the adolescents’ brains had greater activity in the neural areas associated with attention, imitation, social cognition and reward processing when browsing Instagram photos with many likes. Social media users should realize the possibility for abuse and the power of this platform since it is so tightly connected to individuals’ rewards systems. In a similar capacity, the brain’s rewards system can be easily ruled over by things like narcotic drugs and gambling. To avoid potential pitfalls, users of social media should be cognizant of these parallels.

The functions of emotional processing and decision-making of the brain are affected by social media stimuli outside the rewards system. Crone & Konijn (2018) also carried out research on adolescents’ brain activity and came to the conclusion that when the teenagers felt excluded, their brains’ sensory and emotional processing reacted noticeably. The impact of exclusion in the social platform on the adolescents’ growing brain is highlighted in this study. In essence, reaction takes place directly in these specific regions of the brain when users of social media are excluded from events, chats, and online groups. Studies on social media and the reaction it elicits in various brain parts are still in their infancy. There is still a lot of room for improvement despite current research showing an understanding of the impact social media has on various brain parts.

Social media posting

Different plat