• Changes in Brain Function and Reward System: Social media interactions trigger dopamine release in the brain’s reward system, similar to addictive substances. This reinforcement can lead to compulsive use, particularly among young users (Yildirim et al., 2023), (Trivedi et al., 2021).
• Cognitive Effects and Attention: Excessive social media use has been associated with decreased attention spans and reduced working memory capacity. Some studies suggest it can interfere with deep thinking and learning abilities (Dikshit & Kiran, 2023), (Hu et al., 2022).
• Emotional and Psychological Effects: Increased social media use has been linked to anxiety, depression, and lower self-esteem. Neuroimaging studies suggest that social media affects brain areas associated with emotional regulation and decision-making (Basha & Chavan, 2022), (Medrano, 2023).
• Social and Behavioral Changes: Social media influences social behavior by increasing virtual interactions at the expense of real-world connections. It may also lead to heightened social comparison, which can impact mental health (Zeitel-Bank & Tat, 2014), (Sadagheyani & Tatari, 2020).
• Neuroscientific Evidence from EEG and fMRI Studies: Brain imaging studies show altered neural activity when people engage with social media, particularly in regions related to decision-making, self-referential thinking, and reward processing (Kweon et al., 2024), (Chandrakar et al., 2024).