Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter can provide neuropsychologists with rich material for research.
Dar Meshi from the Free University of Berlin, together with colleagues Diana Tamir and Hauke Keekeren, prepared an overview of the methods by which neuropsychologists can obtain valuable data from social networks and the questions that can be answered through such research. “Social networks are still rarely used in neuropsychological research, but they hold considerable potential for future scientific discoveries. The number of social network users is enormous (about two billion people worldwide) and continues to grow, some of them spend several hours daily on these sites,” says Dar Meshi.
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The authors of the review note that in many cases people behave in a similar way on social networks and in real life. Thus, by analyzing user messages, one can, for example, draw conclusions about his emotional state. By analyzing how users’ messages change after they read their friends’ messages, one can determine their level of conformity. By studying how people view the news and what links they click on, you can learn a lot about what sparks their curiosity.
The opposite approach is also possible – the study of the differences between the social environment on the Internet and real life. For example, when communicating live, people usually talk about themselves about 30% of the time, but about 80% of the messages of Internet users relate to themselves.
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“Communication in social networks is largely free from the restrictions that constrain people in real life, thus, they provide an opportunity to understand the origins of our social behavior and the extent to which various external factors influence it. Neuroscientists can collect data on how people’s behavior on the Web changes depending on the situation and external factors, and use it to study the brain structures responsible for social behavior and its adaptation to a changing environment,” says Diana Tamir.
There are also some problems and limitations associated with the use of information from social networks in research. For example, the self-image that a Web user draws may differ markedly from his real personality. There are also restrictions related to ethical considerations and possible violations of user privacy.
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Dar Meshi notes that social networks not only can provide data for research, but should also become the object of close scrutiny. It is important to understand both the positive and negative impact of these sites on people – especially children and teenagers, who make up a very large proportion of users.
“While social media can be beneficial, research into its effects on the brain is particularly important given the potential negative impacts, including lower student achievement, job loss, and overall lower quality of life,” says Dar Meshi.
Подробнее см. D. Meshi et al. «The emerging neuroscience of social media», Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 2015, vol. 19, № 12.