Real Data from current Survey

Real time data sheds light on the addictive behavior caused by using social media. The following statistical data is based on 421 responses to a survey asking for information on individual social media usage.

Figure 17

The question, “Do you feel anxious if you do not look at your social media profile first thing in the morning?”, is used to understand the psychological impact individuals realized are occurring from social media engagement.  2.7% responded they strongly agree and 13.8% agreed that they feel anxious, if they do not log on first thing in the morning. This means they receive an immediate dopamine hit from checking their social media status in the morning. The anxious emotion conveys brain changes due to social media; which, means there is some degree of prefrontal cortex and dopamine tug of war.

 Figure 18

25.4 percent or 104 people stated they do not take breaks from social media. The attractive aspects of social media are present in the answers to the above question. Breaks give a person relief from the digital bombardment of dopamine draining information. A break can give the dopamine receptors a chance to rest from over-stimulation.

 Figure 19

Social media can hide the “real” us away from reality. The suicide of Holly shows that an Instagram or Facebook profile can deceive others of a person’s true emotional state. A question on the survey states, 51.8 percent of respondents feel their social media profiles give a true representation of themselves. 37.7% state their profiles do not truly represent themselves. The question is insightful in helping us understand our perception of our lives.

Figure 20

Social media can decrease our attention span, while conducting academic and employment task. 48.5% of individuals stated, they sometimes will have the social media tab open.

The survey information is taken from individuals over 18 years of age. 0.2% of the individual’s surveyed are under 19 years old and 16.9% of respondents are 20-29 years old. I wonder how the data would change if teenagers were surveyed. The reason is because their prefrontal cortex may not regulate their dopamine response as well as the adults.

Figure 21

The data gathered reinforces the brain science discussed in the beginning of the research paper. The small sample information conveys the strength social media can have over the human attention span and behavior.