Paz Holguín: "In dependence there is always a hidden fear".

Psychologist Paz Holguín talks about how social networks "hook" us.

Social networks have developed an extraordinary capacity to provide us with constant information and stimuli; stimuli that, in addition, tend to be offered to us taking into account our characteristics, tastes and interests.

However, this capacity to instantly offer us all kinds of content adapted to what we like goes hand in hand with operating mechanics designed to "hook" us to the screen. And young people are particularly prone to fall into these dynamics of dependence on the use of computers, smartphones, tablets...

That is why, in this interview with psychologist Paz Holguín we talk about the way in which the qualities of social networks lead us to constantly look for the "high" of likes and virtual interactions.

Interview with Paz Holguín: What effects do likes on social networks have on us?

Paz Holguín is a psychologist with a practice in Las Rozas de Madrid, where she offers psychotherapy and counseling for parents.where she offers psychotherapy and counseling for parents based on the cognitive-behavioral and systemic models (although she also works online). In this interview he talks to us about the influence of the mechanics of social networks in the minds of young people who use platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok... on a daily basis.

What aspects of the design and mechanics of the most used social networks give them that ability to "hook" us?

Human beings are social by nature, they need others for their survival. Therefore, the feeling of belonging, of connection to a social system, is one of their greatest motivations. Social networks have been and are designed with this purpose of connectivity among us, and from there they develop all the necessary mechanisms to create and supply this need in a virtual way.

The use of images as quick information, the possibility of sending and receiving audios and being connected as long as we want, of meeting people from all over the world, notifications, likes, algorithms created to show only the content that may interest you and discard the one that does not... These are some of the mechanisms that networks use to keep us hooked on them.

What is the real purpose of social networks giving the possibility of giving a "like" to certain content?

As I mentioned before, belonging to the community and the group is a necessity for us, but it is difficult to feel part of a group or a community if the other members do not show their acceptance towards us.

And this is where one of the important points in the design of social networks lies; a like is a mechanism of interaction, and the interaction that we generate in other users is perceived as a level of acceptance by the community. If I feel very accepted, if I have many likes or comments, I will continue to perform those behaviors that generate acceptance.

At a neurobiological level, are the effects of receiving likes comparable to the effects that taking certain drugs has on the brain?

Well, this is complicated to answer because there is still no research to support this comparison, but there seem to be indications that yes. We know that consuming drugs increases the release of dopamine, a hormone involved in feelings of pleasure, which is also released when we receive likes on our publications or when we like someone else's publication. Both also activate the nucleus accumbens, which functions as a reward system.

Basically, what we experience are instant moments of pleasure, not happiness, every time we receive a like.

The problem with the functioning of this structure is that the continuous consumption of these pleasurable experiences leads the person to get used to what he/she is given, and to reach those small moments of pleasure he/she will need more of that pleasurable stimulus. So if we have 20 likes in a publication, our little moment will need 21, 22, 23 likes... in the next publications to appear with such strength.

In addition, it seems that both are also related to some difficulties in attention and concentration processes.

When people value the number of likes that their publications, photos and videos receive, do they tend to compare themselves with the rest of the people around them, or with the most popular people?

Comparing oneself with others is a common mechanism for assessing social acceptance that happens to us every day. According to Festinger's Social Comparison Theory, the natural tendency is to compare ourselves with our peers, although there is also upward and downward comparison, that is, we compare ourselves with people we believe are better positioned in a particular field and with those we consider less successful in that field. So we can assume that this behavior also occurs in social networks.

The algorithms of many social networks provoke and facilitate this upward comparison, since they show us those publications that generate more likes and more interactions with users. In any case, there are many factors involved in the social comparison processes within social networks: the user's age, the purpose for which he/she uses social networks, the type of social network used, and of course the user's own personal factors such as his/her self-esteem, support network, mood, etc.

How is the search for approval in social networks related to what has been called FOMO, i.e., "fear of missing out"?

The FOMO phenomenon is, in part, a consequence of the search for approval. Basically this phenomenon is described as the fear of missing out on something that happens.

As in the networks the bombardment of events is inexhaustible, if I am not connected I feel that I miss something, and if I miss something I am not up to date with society and therefore, I miss opportunities to socialize and find the approval of the group.

On the other hand, being continuously connected increases the situations in which we are exposed to the upward social comparison I mentioned before and can make us feel that our life is boring or vulgar, for example.

What can be done from Psychology to help people who depend too much on social networks?

On an individual level, there is always a hidden fear in dependence; the fear in these cases is usually related to not connecting with others and being or feeling socially isolated. So the work usually starts there.

At the societal level, I believe that psychologists have a fundamental role to play in the dissemination of the harmful psychological effects derived from the misuse of social networks as well as in the education in their correct use, and it is important that we emphasize not only computer education but also the emotional education of the networks.