Social networks. Essay

Even though most of the ideas have been described already, I’d like to add some of the interesting facts that I know about social networking.

Have you known that we feel ourselves “addicted” to social networking not only because of psychological but mostly because of the physiological (neurochemical) processes and substances generated in our brains? Being more precisely, these substances are dopamine and oxytocin.

Dopamine is responsible for our desires and also that is what makes us looking for what is most desirable for us, what is more is that hormone dopamine is in charge of  opportunity of getting self-rewarded. And that is what social media are entirely saturated with. Factually, the influence of dopamine is that irresistible (/is irresistible at such a degree) that the addiction to reposts and likes is much stronger than the addiction to cigarettes and alcohol. Simply, the identical brain areas are stimulated while smoking and chatting.

Oxytocin is also called ‘hormone of hugs’ since it is developed when people kiss or hug each other. Imagine then that only after 10 minutes spent in social networks the level of hormone oxytocin has a 13-percent rise. Such a leap is comparable to an increase of the oxytocin’s level during the wedding ceremony.

Furthermore, oxytocin causes to a decrease of stress and moreover leads to emerge of the feelings such as love, trust and sympathy.

 All of the emotions stated above do we experience while spending time in social networks, although, it cause addiction and that is what is left to be considered as the dark side.