If you think that Internet addiction and Facebook addiction in particular is merely a hoax, think again.
Researchers are discovering that the use of Facebook actually impacts our brain. Every time we see a notification and read it, it results in a dopamine surge in our brain. Just like drugs, this is quite addictive.
But there’s more as this challenging infographic below shows. People who are serious Internet addicts for instance, have smaller brain areas responsible for speech, memory, motor control, emotion, sensory and other functions. Internet use actually changes how our brain is wired and areas that are used less atrophy.
That’s why Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) will be recognized as a ‘real’ disorder and included in the DSM-V (which is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Organization, the go-to manual for professionals in mental health care world wide).
For more fascinating facts about what Facebook and Internet does to our brain, carefully study the infographic below.
[Click for Larger]
What do you think of these developments?
[Via InfographicList]
Mark Robinson says
One of the reasons why I started the New Year on a very strict Facebook diet.
Eric Dye says
Good idea. 🙂
Curtis says
What is your source that IAD will be included in DSM-5? The final DSM-5 won’t be released until May. IAD is one of dozens of proposed conditions, but we won’t know if it is included until May.