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Study: Facebook addiction affects brain like cocaine

Saturday, 27 February 2016 3:01 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 27 February 2016 3:00 PM ]

Social media addictions are similar to drug abuse highs in the way they impact the brain. (AFP)

A new study has revealed that Facebook can have effects on the brain similar to cocaine addiction.

Researchers in California say Facebook addiction may show up in brain scans of those who can’t stay off the site, affecting our grey matter in a similar way that cocaine does.

Researchers found Facebook activated the amygdala, which helps establish the significance of events and emotions, and the striatum, which is involved in the processing and anticipation of rewards.

However, researchers also found the impulsive systems in the brain worked OK for compulsive Facebook users during the monitoring period, unlike in drugs addicts.

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