The Effects of Social Media on Human Brain and Behavior

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The Effects of Social Media on Human Brain and Behavior The influence of rapidly growing social media, television, and the internet has taken the world by storm in recent years. Its fascinating development over the years is nothing short of remarkable when you take into account that 20 years ago, only 16 million people in the world were "online", compared to the 2 billion that roam on the internet now. Modern communications technology has now become so familiar and utterly banal, yet there is still this tingling sensation when one receives a text from a love interest on Facebook or WhatsApp. Human identity, the idea that defines each and every one of us, is on the verge of being radically defined by social media. This essay will provide a balanced outlook on the positive and negative effects that social media have had on the behaviour and thinking on humans. The topic is a very controversial one, but the purpose of this is to help readers formulate a view on whether the arguments in this essay benefit society in general, or whether they harm the well-being of the human brain and detach us from reality. Speaking from personal experience, removing my younger brother from a video game in a hurry is something that is impossible to do. The attachment between him and the screen attains a level of immortality; the screen becomes an emotional retreat and their minds become trapped for hours to the exclusion of the surroundings around them. It is quite bewildering to think that the world has come to this; kids as young as 10 years old neglect chores, studies, social relationships, and even themselves as they are blinded by the mind-altering media applications around them. The debate on whether online communication is hampering or... ... middle of paper ... ...rty because of a matter of choice, but mostly due to the "difference" I felt from the social group around me. Personally, I believe that social media and the internet in general should be used in the same way everything else should be used : moderately. Despite the drawbacks, social media has grown at a rate where it is inconceivable that things will change anytime soon. The field of research into changing brain patterns based on our increasingly umbilical devotion to social media platforms is still very much in its infancy, but will be a fascinating one to keep an eye on into the future. We are living in a brave new world, and advances in technology are only going to create even more ways of connecting and communicating with each other — virtually, at least. I’ll be thinking about this next time I feel compelled to check my news feeds. I hope you, sir, will too.

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