“Keeping in touch is no longer about face to face, but instead screen to screen, highlighted by the fact that more than 1 billion people are using Facebook every day” (East, 2016).
In a study by UCLA’s Brain Mapping Center, it was found that receiving likes on social media activates the brain’s reward center. This is especially important to consider when monitoring the social media use of teens, but is important for adults as well.
Consider this: if our brains are stimulated by the simple action of clicking a button we may look to social media to satisfy our desire to feel valued and accepted. On an even simpler level, we may be satisfying our desire to experience the social reward which feeds our brain.
In short, during this virtual time of quarantining and sheltering in place, it is immensely important to create opportunities to experience activity in our brain’s reward center. While social media is a great way to connect and engage with others, we should create additional opportunities to get the natural pleasure of peer approval. This winter, we suggest adults and teens move from social media to social connection by engaging Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram friends in person-to-person telephonic or virtual activities. Here are few activities we suggest:
Mail a postcard or letter to a friend
Call distant family members to catch up
Schedule a virtual lunch date
Engage in or host a virtual activity for
paint & sip
play video or board games
read/dialogue about a book
movie night
window shop together
group workout
cooking class
Organize a virtual hang out (no agenda; just laugh and talk)
Set calendar reminders to check on friends and family
Whatever you do, we encourage you to stay safe and create opportunities to connect with others.
References
East, S. (2016) Teens: This is how social media affects your brain. CNN https://www.cnn.com/2016/07/12/health/social-media-brain/index.html
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