Study finds the brains of people who can't get enough of Facebook are somewhat similar to those of drug addicts

Jan 28, 2015 12:57 GMT  ·  By
Study finds Facebook addiction is kind of, sort of like being addicted to drugs
   Study finds Facebook addiction is kind of, sort of like being addicted to drugs

If we're going to be honest here, we have to admit that we all know at least one person who simply can't get enough of Facebook. They post things, like other people's messages or simply stalk day in, day out, and always want more.

What's interesting is that, according to a recent paper in the journal Psychological Reports: Disability and Trauma, these guys and gals are, in a way, not all that different to drug addicts.

In this study, specialist Ofir Turel with the California State University, Fullerton, and fellow researchers explain that, having used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the brains of 20 volunteers, they found that Facebook and drugs have a similar effect.

Long story short, the researchers say that the brain areas that are a tad hyperactive in the case of drug addicts are also surprisingly busy in the case of individuals who are almost always on Facebook. These areas involve the brain's impulse systems.

As detailed in the journal Psychological Reports: Disability and Trauma, the amygdala and the striatum are more active in the case of so-called Facebook addicts than they are in the case of other people. Both these brain regions are connected with impulsive behavior.

Still, it's important to note that there is a major difference between Facebook and drugs when it comes to the effect they have on the brain. Simply put, avid Facebook users can, should they choose to, control their behavior.

“They have the ability to control their behavior, but they don't have the motivation to control this behavior because they don't see the consequences to be that severe,” explains researcher Ofir Turel, as cited by Live Science.