There was a time when youngsters enjoyed going out. They would go to a small eatery and enjoy the pizza without worrying about capturing the ‘moment.’ These days, youngsters and adults want to capture an image of the food before eating it and post it on social media.
Technology is certainly a blessing for most, especially those who can’t afford a ticket to Vegas. With automaty hazardowe online, you feel motivated to play more. In addition, technology brings us closer to our people living abroad. Bridges have been burned – all thanks to social media. But social media is also manipulating our memory. You may ask how that’s possible, and we have an answer for you.
How is social media manipulating our memory?
Do you remember the embarrassing picture your friend posted on Instagram? Perhaps you remember the date too. It made you mad, and you asked your friend to put it down too. Professor Qi Wang did a study and found out that posting certain events on social media helps you remember or easily recall a particular instance. There is a significant role it plays in selective memory.
Events that are published online are easier to recall. Instagram and Facebook remind you of certain memories too. When you use Instagram or Facebook, it shows you a memory that you have probably buried long ago. Professor Wang believes that social media is an important tool to study human behavior.
Social media & Erving Goffman’s front stage & back stage theory
Before posting a picture on social media, we use filters, emojis, and other picture-enhancement tools. Our mind thinks of ten things before posting the picture. We want to showcase a flawless side to the world.
Erving Goffman’s theory of dramaturgy is relevant here. Social media is our front stage where we want to showcase our best side (a perfect lifestyle, happy marriage, a pool of friends, and a perfect body). We want people to like us.
Many people get affected by how many likes they get. If somebody does not like our picture, we start thinking that this person is not happy for us or is not interested in looking at the images. No matter how depressed we are in our real life (backstage), we try to showcase a perfect life for our social media followers. Thus, social media harms the human brain, especially the youth. They are trying too hard to impress and want to fit into society.
Is social media a threat to the human brain?
Social media modifies what we remember and also has an effect on how we remember it. You will see a lot of news and opinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Some of them are false, and others are exaggerated. But it will have an impact on the reader’s mind. If a person reads false news on social media, they will recall the event in the same fashion.
Memory distortion is another problem as social media has no filter. Many social media handles use explicit language and content. The mind starts storing and accepting false narratives.
In a nutshell, social media is a threat to the human brain. We should limit the time spent on social media and not believe in false news being spread by amateurs, and so-called ‘influencers.’ Reading the newspaper or watching news channels will give you clear details about certain events. Moreover, we should stop spending a lot of time on social media. 30 to 40 minutes are enough for browsing and checking social media.
Story by Ana Corker
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AFP
