What the brain 'Likes': neural correlates of providing feedback on social media.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional experimental fMRI study in healthy human participants (graded by design analogy)
PubMed 29982823 · doi:10.1093/scan/nsy051
What was done
Fifty-eight adolescents and young adults underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while completing a task designed to mimic the Instagram photo-sharing platform. Neural responses were measured specifically while participants gave positive feedback ('Likes') to others.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, or test statistics. Providing 'Likes' to others was associated with activation in reward-related brain regions (striatum and ventral tegmental area), as well as areas involved in salience processing and executive function.
Why it matters
It demonstrates that providing social feedback recruits reward-processing circuitry similar to receiving rewards, helping explain reinforcement mechanisms underlying social media interactions.
Limits
The abstract reports no quantitative data or effect sizes. The sample size is modest (n = 58) and restricted to adolescents and young adults in a simulated scanner task that may not fully reflect real-world social media behavior.
Cited by
- supports Scrolling on social media activates the brain's reward pathways by triggering a dopamine release.