Are there Biological Evidences of the Influence of Social Networking Sites in Human Behavior? A Mini Review

It is a fact that social and cultural interaction has an influence on decision-making processes and on the behavior of humans through the so-called reward mechanisms. The effects of a reward stimulus on behavior and decision can be observed in the human brain through the activity of a specific circuit of reward that consists of the orbitofrontal cortex, striatum and amygdala, with dopaminergic modulation. These interactions are also sometimes called the mesocorticolimbic system. This mechanism is present in other animals and mammals and probably emerged as an advantageous feature allowing species to adapt to the environment. However, the dysfunction of this system is associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia or drug addiction. In this context, it is well known that social networking sites have revolutionized the form of social and cultural interactions, connecting millions of people in real time and leveraging the social reward mechanism in individuals. Furthermore, social networking sites have been used as important tools for the dissemination of ideas that directly impact people’s lives, from the philosophical, scientific and even presidential campaigns. Meanwhile, the possible neurological effects of this new form of social interaction are still poorly studied and important questions need to be answered. In this paper, we discuss some of these issues.