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Dec. 1, 2021 – Dr. Martin Paulus, who is a psychiatrist with the Laureate Institute for Brain Research said a team is studying the teenage brain and the side effects of social media. He shared some scary comparisons. “Social reward which is essentially what social media capitalized on is activating the same brain systems that drugs like cocaine or meth activate.”
In fact, Paulus said a child’s brain on social media is the same as someone addicted to drugs. The addictive process gives a jolt to the brain.
With any addiction, the brain releases dopamine, which happens when someone experiences pleasure and creates and award system for things like drugs, food or, in this case, social media.
“The currency for social reward like the number of likes or the number of followers or the number of comments you’re getting for a post that is essentially the social currency people strive for,” Paulus said.
However, that social media currency can come with a cost with some of the social media challenges like fines form the school or court fees. The list released by local school districts shows different TikTok challenges happening each month.
