Synapses to Shares

“We live in an age where there is a firehose of information, and there is no hierarchy of what is important and what is not. Where the truth is often fashioned through a variety of digital means. Are you your avatar? Who are you in social media? What face do you turn toward the world? How much does it have in common with who you actually are?”

David Carr

Neurobiology of Social Media

Social media interactions trigger the release of neurotransmitters including dopamine, which increases our motivation for engagement, similar to the anticipation that drives us to do something in order to win a prize. Apps like TikTok, Instagram, and more manipulate these parts of our brains with specific designs and incentives aimed at triggering these regions and keeping us coming back again and again.

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Is social media truly “social?”

To me, being social revolves around human interaction and connection. While social media allows for easy accessibility to online communication and engagement, it differs from in-person social experiences in significant ways. In person interactions involve real-time communication, visible body language and physical presence, which offers opportunities for deeper understanding and relationships.

“We must acknowledge the growing body of research about potential harms, increase our collective understanding of the risks associated with social media use, and urgently take action to create safe and healthy digital environments that minimize harm and safeguard children’s and adolescents’ mental health and well-being during critical stages of development.”

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy

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Positive Effects

Additional positive impacts include:

  • Social media can benefit youth by providing positive connections with others, and allowing them to create supportive communities.
  • It allows access to important information and creates a space for self-expression.
  • Online friendships and social connections can be formed and maintained, offering opportunities for positive interactions with diverse peer groups.
  • Social media can provide crucial social support, especially for marginalized youth, such as racial, ethnic, and sexual and gender minorities.
  • Studies show that social media supports the mental health and well-being of LGBTQIA+ youths by enabling peer connection, identity development, and social support.
  • Adolescent girls of color often encounter positive or identity-affirming content related to race on social media platforms.
  • The majority of adolescents report feeling more accepted, supported through tough times, able to show their creative side, and more connected to their friends’ lives through social media.
  • Research suggests that social media-based mental health interventions can promote help-seeking behaviors and serve as a gateway to initiating mental health care for some children and adolescents.

“…studies have shown that social media may support the mental health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, transgender, queer, intersex and other youths by enabling peer connection, identity development and management, and social support. Seven out of ten adolescent girls of color report encountering positive or identity-affirming content related to race across social media platforms. A majority of adolescents report that social media helps them feel more accepted (58%), like they have people who can support them through tough times (67%), like they have a place to show their creative side (71%), and more connected to what’s going on in their friends’ lives (80%).”

— Social Media and Youth Mental Health

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Negative Effects

Additional negative impacts include:

  • Increased Isolation: Despite the illusion of being connected, excessive social media use can actually lead to a sense of isolation and loneliness, as virtual interactions replace face-to-face connections.
  • Sleep Disruption: The blue light from screens, along with the mental stimulation from late-night social media use, can interfere with sleep patterns, leading to insomnia and decreased sleep quality.
  • Cyberbullying: Social media platforms can be hotspots for bullying and harassment, which can cause emotional distress, anxiety, and depression in victims.
  • Privacy Concerns: Oversharing on social media can lead to privacy breaches and the potential misuse of personal information by third parties.
  • Impact on Physical Health: Long hours of inactivity and screen time associated with social media use can contribute to health issues such as obesity and eye strain.
  • Information Overload: The constant stream of notifications, messages, and updates can lead to information overload, making it challenging to process information and leading to stress.
  • FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): Social media can exacerbate feelings of FOMO, leading individuals to constantly check their devices and feel anxious about not being up to date with the latest news or events, which can detract from real-life experiences and present moments.

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Neuroplasticity and Social Media

Excessive social media use has been linked to shorter attention spans.

“Distracted from distraction by distraction”

— T. S. Eliot

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Social media platforms can activate the brain’s reward system, including that VTA to nucleus accumbens dopamine pathway. This area is stimulated by ‘likes’ and other forms of social validation, which can be likened to the effects of addictive substances, potentially leading to compulsive use patterns.

“There are only two industries that call their customers ‘users’: illegal drugs and software.”

— Edward Tufte

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There’s evidence suggesting that excessive social media use may affect areas of the brain involved in social cognition and empathy, such as the prefrontal cortex. In some studies, social media use correlated with reduced empathetic social skills among adolescents.

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My Tips for Healthy Social Media Use

I started by implementing small changes, such as dedicating specific times of the day to check social media rather than allowing it to interrupt my life constantly. This small but significant shift helped me regain control over my time and attention.

I’ve embraced the practice of consuming content more consciously, choosing to follow accounts and engage with posts that truly add value to my life — whether by educating, inspiring, or simply making me smile. This selective engagement has transformed my feed into a source of positivity and motivation, rather than a rabbit hole for comparison and isolation.

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The students I spoke with clearly understood the importance of balance and finding time to engage in organic relationships offline. Students suggested using the built-in social media limiting apps on phones as well as setting up a routine to establish greater discipline. Some pointed out that adults in their lives had similar or even more extensive issues with using social media platforms than they did themselves.

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