There's a reason why you can't ever stop checking your notifications and watching your favorite YouTubers' beauty and fashion hauls. It turns out technology, specifically social media, has actually changed our brains. Here are five things social media is doing to your brain, according to a super-cool video by asapSCIENCE.
1. Social media really can be addictive. Though it's not a physical addiction, the same part of the brain that is triggered when a person has an addiction is also active when you use social media excessively. That's why you cannot resist the urge to check your mentions every five minutes.
2. Social media use releases dopamine, the "feel-good" hormone. It happens mostly when you gain new followers or likes, of course.
3. Phantom vibration syndrome—when you think your phone is vibrating when it's actually not—is a real thing. Have you ever felt like your phone was ringing or vibrating when it actually wasn't? That's because the same way your brain perceives an itch is the same way it lets you know that your phone is going off. Sometimes, you can't tell the difference. This happens to many people at least a few times a week!
4. Social media negatively affects your ability to multitask. You might think that you can send a tweet and pay attention to what your mom's saying at the same time, but that's not true. Being on social media all the time messes with your ability to store memory and concentrate on more than one thing at a time. People who don't use social media as much are way better at multitasking.
5. But, it's actually better for your love life, so at least there's that. Partners like each other more if they meet for the first time online than they do in person. So Facebook messaging with your cousin's friend whose going to the same college as you might not be a total waste of time.
Check out the video below for more deets about how social media is changing your brain:
Do you think you're addicted to social media? Comment below!