The content we consume every day has a greater impact on our thoughts and behaviours that many of us realise. We are constantly absorbing information; from the videos we engage with to the music we listen to, our brains are constantly being forced to adapt.
Why Our Brains Copy What They See
A large part of this comes down to mirror neurons, which are a type of specialised brain cell that activate both when we perform an action and when we watch someone else perform the same action, or vice versa. This is because when we have performed an action, we understand why someone else might perform it and therefore tend to imitate it, which is why yawning is often contagious.
It has been asserted by numerous neuroscientists that these mirror neurons also contribute to emotional contagion, which means that if we repeatedly consume content consisting of negativity and complaints, our brains mirror these emotional states because we have previously experienced these feelings. In that same way, if you consume a range of positive and motivational content, you’ll feel happier and more inspired.
Why Social Media Is Built to Be Addictive
Social media isn’t accidentally addictive, it’s engineered that way.. Neuroscientists including Dr. Anna Lembke and Dr. Andrew Huberman suggest that this addiction is based on the quantity and variety we consume, as well as the validation we receive from this, which triggers our dopamine receptors, making us want to consume more.
Huberman has also described the new subconscious urge to constantly check our phones as “infantile”, the idea being that a mature adult can utilise self-control rather than acting solely on instinct the way an infant would. Research also suggests that short-form content reduces our ability to sustain attention over long periods of time. While users may become better at multitasking generally, individual tasks are performed less effectively because our brains have become accustomed to constant distraction.
What This Means for How We Live
Our digital habits shape our minds in much the same way as physical habits shape our bodies. Maintaining good sensory habits by limiting screen time, setting app limits, and choosing positive, high quality content allows the brain to recover from constant stimulation.