Oxytocin (not to be confused with Oxycontin) is often referred to as “the cuddle chemical” or “the hug hormone.” It has special functions in the female body, such as stimulating the bond between a mother and her child, and recent studies have shown that it plays a role in human behaviors such as social recognition, healthy relationships, and even orgasms. When released in our brain, it heightens feelings of trust, generosity and empathy, a chemical reaction similar to falling in love.
Imagine a groom on his wedding day and the positive feelings he must be experiencing. Would you believe me if I told you that the oxytocin level in that groom’s brain is the same as someone actively using Twitter?
For a recent Fast Company article, NYU journalism professor and writer Adam Penenberg partnered up with neuroeconomist Paul Zak to explore this very issue. Penenberg met Zak at his lab where a nurse took his blood before he embarked on his experiment. He then sat down at a computer, signed into TweetDeck, and started tweeting. Over a period of 10 minutes, he interacted with people he knew and people he didn’t know on Twitter, and ended the experiment by getting his blood drawn once again, doubting the value of the short, simple, and seemingly meaningless experiment.
But when he received the results six weeks later, Penenberg learned that his oxytocin levels spiked 13.2%, eerily similar to the groom whose oxytocin levels Zak had tested in a previous experiment. Not only did his oxytocin levels increase, but his levels of stress hormones cortisol and ACTH decreased 10.8% and 14.9%, respectively.
Perhaps the most fascinating part of the experiment was Zak’s conclusion: “Your brain interpreted tweeting as if you were directly interacting with people you cared about or had empathy for. E-connection is processed in the brain like an in-person connection.“
In 2005, Australian scientists discovered that people with friends are healthier and live longer. The particularly compelling part of this generally well-known theory is that those friends don’t need to be physically present. It doesn’t matter where they are. Just by having friends to interact with over the telephone, e-mail, and yes, even social networks, gives us the benefits of better health and a longer life.
Ten years ago, if you were constantly on the computer, you would probably be called a loner or a geek. People would wonder why you chose to isolate yourself and sit in front of an inanimate box instead of going out with friends. Although this stigma has diminished over the past few years and is no longer commonly applied to Millennials, a recent study from the Pew Research Center laid to rest any lingering doubts, showing that social networking leads to larger and more diverse social networks and is actually associated with engagement in public places, as opposed to keeping people indoors.
In fact, a study conducted at the University of Maryland that asked students to give up social media for a day showed that the college students actually felt isolated without social media. A similar TNGG experiment showed similar results.
The truth is, excessive Internet use doesn’t have the same implications that it used to, and the 72% of young adults who use social networking sites aren’t forcing themselves into isolation, but are instead staying connected to their peers in ways that just weren’t possible for the generations that preceded us.
Ultimately, social network use and in-person interactions aren’t mutually exclusive for Millennials. The point isn’t that the Internet and smartphones replace our face-to-face relationships; on the contrary, they aid and facilitate them. It may seem like we’re always online, but so are our friends, and we utilize the technology that we have to enhance our connections with each other.
So next time you see us with our heads down, typing away on our smartphones, or planted in front of our laptops for extensive periods of time, keep in mind that we’re doing more than simply wasting time on the latest gadget.
We’re talking to our friends. We’re keeping up with the latest news in politics or pop culture. We’re sharing photos with our parents with a few easy clicks of a button. We’re making plans for the weekend. We’re even subconsciously increasing our oxytocin levels, elevating part of our brains to a level equivalent to a man on his wedding day.
As solitary and disconnected as we may appear, we are in fact quite the opposite.
Photo by SarahFranco
Have to say I whole heartedly agree (having evolved from being perceived as a geeky loner 10 years ago). Facebook in particular is a network that is a perfect example of a real world social supplement, while LinkedIn is more a business Rolodex than a forum to socialize. I am excited to see the business world evolving to keep pace with the new tools proven useful from the development of social networks. Despite not being on Twitter for a year yet, I have made more high quality social connections than 6 years on Facebook did, and I am completely enthralled with using Twitter as my main news source. While our generation can’t honestly lay claim to pioneering social technologies, our native experience with it definitely gives us a competitive advantage in the modern business world (with apologies to the Gen X “gurus” out there).
I agree – being “digital natives,” we have a unique perspective on social technologies. And I, too, am enthralled by all the ways I can use Twitter – for networking, news, and search, to name a few. It’s been an invaluable tool for me.
I agree. We grew up chatting on IM and sending emails, so this online social connection is just another part of life. Nothing is going to replace face-to-face interaction, but I agree that our online interactions just add to the social experience.
Tech is now at the point where we can have face-to-face conversations online (skype, the new iPhone, etc). The line between online and IRL interaction is growing thinner. I think that’s pretty cool too.
Tom
@tmiesen
That’s a great point, Tom.
It makes me think about the quality of social interactions. I can go out with a group of friends, but the interaction might not be as valuable to me as an e-mail or Twitter exchange with a best friend who lives far away. Ultimately, I don’t think the quality of our interactions should be judged by the medium through which we communicate.
Just he first step until we plug ourselves into the Matrix or get a Surrogate! Very interesting article Jessica.
Now *that’s* the kind of stuff that scares me!
Great article Jess. Really enjoyed it. Back in the 70s, two researchers, Holmes and Rae, studied the ‘therapeutic’ benefits of social networks for people experiencing ‘life stress’ secondary to life changes, transitions, etc. The results were really impressive. But they confined their study to the psychological/sociological literature. Since the, there has been a burst of interest in the healing characteristics of social networks for the general vs. patient population. What captures my attention is knowing that social networks go far beyond mtigiating or reducing stress, they facilitate health and healing!
Years ago, there was an NPR interview of the pioneering heart transplant surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey. He was in his late 80s at the time. The interviewer commented on how vibrant and healthy he was. She asked him if this was due to his diet, exercise, etc. He told her empahtically: if you have a spare hour, don’t go the health club and exercise, just have a conversation with someone who means something to you. A true pioneer.
Thanks for commenting! To add to Dr. DeBakey’s comment, with today’s technology, we’re lucky enough to not even have to be on the same continent as the person who means something to us. We can send them an email, an IM, video chat on Skype, or even resort to the good old telephone. The benefits that we reap from our meaningful interactions don’t have to be restricted by geography.
Yes. Being a digital immigrant, the fact that the healing benefits of social networking can be ‘virtual’ amazes me. It would be good to see applications of this in health care.
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