SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLOITATION – HOW IT WORKS

Social media platforms exploit and manipulate psychological mechanisms to drive excessive engagement, often at the expense of users' mental well-being. While Dr. Carole Lieberman has not specified a distinct list of mechanisms, her public stance as a "Media Psychiatrist" aligns with a recognized set of issues identified by mental health professionals, researchers, and tech critics. 

Key psychological mechanisms that make social media platforms harmful include:

The variable reward system

Social media platforms use an intermittent, variable reward schedule similar to that of a slot machine. 

The dopamine hit: Each notification, "like," or share is a potential reward that triggers a release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain's reward pathway.

The unpredictability factor: Since users don't know when they will receive a reward, they are incentivized to keep scrolling and checking for updates. The unpredictability of the reward makes the platforms highly addictive. 

Social comparison and curated reality

Social media platforms present a distorted view of others' lives, leading to a constant and often unhealthy process of comparison. 

The "highlight reel": Users primarily post curated, idealized versions of their lives, showcasing achievements, vacations, and happy moments.

Feelings of inadequacy: When a user's unfiltered reality is constantly compared to the polished "highlight reel" of others, it can create feelings of low self-esteem, envy, and inadequacy.

Filters and altered self-perception: The pervasive use of filters on images and videos further promotes unrealistic beauty standards, which can lead to body dissatisfaction and a disconnect from one's authentic self. 

Fear of missing out (FOMO)

Platforms capitalize on the fundamental human need for connection by creating a fear of exclusion. 

Anxiety and compulsion: Notifications and feeds highlighting the activities of friends and acquaintances can trigger the fear of missing out on social events or experiences. This anxiety can drive compulsive checking and over-engagement.

Displacement of real-life interactions: The desire to stay "in the loop" online can cause users to prioritize virtual engagement over genuine, in-person social interactions, leading to feelings of loneliness and isolation. 

Design features that drive compulsive use

Social media platforms are deliberately engineered with features that make it hard to stop scrolling, even when a user intends to log off. 

Infinite scroll: This feature eliminates stopping points, allowing users to consume an endless stream of content without having to make a conscious decision to start a new page.

Autoplay: Platforms like YouTube and TikTok automatically play the next video in a queue, seamlessly prolonging a user's session without requiring any action.

Personalized algorithms: Artificial intelligence (AI) is used to constantly learn a user's preferences, ensuring that the content delivered is as engaging and attention-grabbing as possible. 

Targeting of adolescents

Social media companies disproportionately impact younger users, whose brains are still in a sensitive period of development. 

Vulnerability to reward systems: Developing brains are particularly sensitive to social rewards, which makes young people more susceptible to the variable reward systems of social media.

Impact on developing brains: Excessive social media use has been linked to changes in the parts of the adolescent brain related to emotional learning, impulse control, and regulation. This can lead to increased emotional sensitivity and compromised decision-making. 

This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional. AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more