Social media and the Internet are drastically altering your brain, science explains

From phantom vibrations, to narcissistic behavior, here are the mind-altering components of social media

Published September 9, 2014 2:23PM (EDT)

  (AsapSCIENCE/screenshot)
(AsapSCIENCE/screenshot)

Have you ever sworn your phone buzzed, only to check and find no new notifications? Or found it difficult to pry yourself away from the Internet? Do you feel a jolting high when a tweet resonates and garners multiple favorites?

Well, this may all be the result of brain rewiring due to technology use. We know that Facebook can be addictive -- and mood altering -- but what about the rest of the World Wide Web and social media?

A new video from AsapSCIENCE outlines how technology may be altering our brains -- decreasing our ability to multitask, rewiring us for instant gratification, and even showing signs of dependence. There may, however, be one upside. Watch below to find out:


By Sarah Gray

Sarah Gray is an assistant editor at Salon, focusing on innovation. Follow @sarahhhgray or email sgray@salon.com.

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Addiction Facebook Science Social Media Technology The Internet Twitter Video