Social media is now becoming a part of our daily lives. It does not only
provide us communication but information as well. Social media platforms such
as Facebook and Twitter are so popular and highly addictive for many people.
Why is that? Based on Harvard University’s recent study, they found out that
the act of people posting and sharing things about themselves online is
associated with same part of the brain that triggers the sensation of pleasure
that we get from eating food, getting money, or even having sex. It may not
give the same amount of pleasure as that of sex but the brain considers
self-disclosure to be a rewarding experience. Researchers also found out based
on an experiment that people would really prefer talking about themselves
rather than talking about someone else even if someone offers money for them to
talk about someone else. Another research also found out that sharing/ posting their
thoughts with a friend or a family member gives a more rewarding feeling in the
brain and less of a reward sensation.
So what is the
takeaway?
Lead researcher Diana Tamir told the Los Angeles
Times, “I think the study helps to explain why people
utilize social media websites so often. I think it helps explain why Twitter
exists and why Facebook is so popular, because people enjoy sharing information
about each other.”
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