Everyone loves to stay in tough with friends and family through social media--it's fast, easy, and you can get a quick glimpse into someone's life with minimal effort.
There are some people, though, that might take it too far--that's because social media can have a major impact on your brain.
Firstly, somewhere between five to ten percent of people have an actual, clinical, psychological addiction to social media and/or the internet. Brain scans of these people show a similar impairment region that those with drug dependence have--in other words, their brain looks similar to those who are, say, alcoholics.
Secondly, there have been studies that show social media might actually be "correlated to lower self-control, which marketing experts believe could lead to higher spending," according to Reader's Digest.
"Ultimately, the way you counteract this is by raising your self-awareness,” Columbia University Professor Keith Wilcox told TODAY. “It's not about don't spend time on Facebook, but just be aware of what it might be doing to you."
According to Women's Health, "food porn" photos can activate the brain's reward center and compel viewers to overeat; one study suggests that even looking at food images after a meal can trigger hunger.
It's also been linked to lower self esteem, lack of independent thinking, and has been shown to "butcher" real-life conversations.
To find out more ways social media can affect your brain, check out the video below:
Video Credit: AsapSCIENCE/YouTube
What do you think about this? Do you think you are addicted to social media? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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