Social media companies are hijacking our minds by exploiting psychological vulnerabilities to manipulate and control our time and attention. Like fast-food companies that exploit our human cravings for fat and salt, social media companies aren’t inherently evil. To remain healthy and in control, we should be alert to their methods and wary of our dependency on their platforms. This list details some of the ways that social media Companies exploit human vulnerabilities to maintain our attention and make a profit.
Social media companies use variable reward systems to encourage people to crave their platforms. The nucleus accumbens, which is the part of the brain responsible for craving, is most active when it is anticipating an award. This is because people are fascinated with the unknown and will fixate on an unknown outcome for longer. People are more likely to use social media when they’re experiencing a negative emotion, such as boredom or vulnerability. engaging with social media provides a distraction from these feelings.
They may do this by manipulating feedback so that people receive “likes” on posts when they may be feeling sad. Instagram may retain likes for an image, increasing feelings of vulnerability, and then release the likes in a sudden rush. An algorithm is continuously measuring which rates of information released under different circumstances will make people return to the platform the most. Studies have repeatedly found that the heavy use of social media sites can worsen people’s emotional well-being.
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https://listverse.com/2018/05/23/10-creepy-things-social-media-does-to-control-your-mind/