Modern Day High: The Neurocognitive Impact of Social Media Usage

Background and objective: Extensive use of social media raises concerns regarding its psychological and neurophysiological impact. Although behavioral effects have been the focus of earlier research, there are scarce empirical data addressing the degree to which real-time brain activity alters with social media use. This research aimed to examine the neurocognitive impact of social media usage by assessing brainwave activity via electroencephalography (EEG) to determine specific patterns of neural engagement as well as cognitive/emotional responses. Methods: EEG recordings were obtained from 100 participants with a 24-channel system based on the 10-20 international standard. Participants were healthy adults aged 18-45 years (mean age: 27.4 years), including 52 females and 48 males. Individuals with a history of neurological or psychiatric disorders were excluded. Data were preprocessed with band-pass and notch filtering, artifact rejection by independent component analysis (ICA), common average referencing, epoching, and downsampling. Participants used social media for 30-minute periods, during which neural activity in five frequency bands (Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma) was recorded and analyzed in terms of user interactions and content type. Results: Social media use caused marked alterations in brainwave activity. Alpha waves declined during engagement, especially with emotionally charged content, which suggests cognitive load and excitation. Beta and Gamma waves are heightened during active interaction and continue after engagement, which may indicate extended cognitive excitation and emotional engagement. Theta and Delta waves increased slightly during passive surfing or extended use, which could indicate introspection and mental exhaustion. Regional examination identified Beta/Gamma predominance in prefrontal and occipital cortices in decision-making and viewing of visual content, and Beta/Theta in parietal cortex during multitasking between platforms. Conclusions: Our findings show that social media engages in brain reward pathways akin to those seen in addictive behavior, with extended Beta and Gamma activity having the potential to interfere with emotional regulation and attention. These neurophysiological consequences, especially delayed Alpha recovery and increased Delta activity, could bring to the fore new concerns regarding digital fatigue and mental health. The research indicates the importance of platform design interventions and additional longitudinal investigations.