Here’s something about some people you may not find that hard to believe, especially if you are one of them.
According to a new international study, some users of social media have thinking patterns similar to a rat. The study was prompted by concerns among some researchers who said that the behavior by some of the four billion people worldwide who spent several hours each day on social media platforms was like an addiction. Probably not a huge surprise.
But when the researchers analyzed more than a million posts from over 4,000 users, the found something slightly different going on.
Their findings, they said, suggest that the behavior of many social media users was consistent with “reward learning.” The people on Facebook and Instagram and other social media sites who got more likes to their post were driven to post even more and more frequently. And users who didn’t get as many likes didn’t post as much.
The researchers’ conclusion? Social media use appears to be driven by similar principles that lead rats to food rewards in laboratory tests.
Now that’s something to think about the next time you’re on Facebook. Oh, and if you’re hungry for a like, and want to post this study, just CLICK HERE.
(Photo credit Getty Images)