Paid Content

This Is What Social Media Does To Your Brain (Warning: It's Not Pretty)

What Social Media Does To Your Brain (Warning: It's Not Pretty)
|

If you thought the only danger of social media was stalking your ex or obsessing over a colleagues' covetable wardrobe, think again. It turns out that the phenomenon could be affecting your brain in a number of ways.

This incredibly educational (and slightly scary) video from AsapSCIENCE explains how social media affects the way we think and operate. And, seeing as one third of the world use social media, it's a pretty big issue.

Open Image Modal

So for example, 5-10% of internet users are unable to control how much time they spend online. While social media is a psychological addiction, brain scans show a similar pattern to those of drug addicts.

Because social media offers instant gratification our brains crave it. Hence the reason you keep running out of data at the end of the month. (Don't worry, it happens to the best of us.)

Think switching between Instagram, Facebook and Twitter makes you better at multi-tasking? Wrong. Studies have shown that constant interruptions work to reduce your ability to focus and even commit things to memory. Yikes.

So, next time you get that social media itch, how about trying to resist the urge to click?