Users of the ubiquitous social network Facebook are neither relaxed nor stressed when interacting with the website. Instead, they achieve what has come to be known as "flow", a heightened state of mental arousal and focus, according to research conducted by a group from IULM University in Milan, Italy.
Neuroscientists measured several physiological markers as 30 participants performed three tasks. The first, viewing a series of landscape photographs, was meant to elicit a relaxed state, while the second, a Stroop test requiring each participant to correctly name the color of words, was designed to provoke stress responses. The third test, during which participants were allowed to interact with their own Facebook accounts for three minutes, triggered a reaction different from the first two.
Using measurements of skin conductance, vascular dilation, blood pressure, brainwaves, and others, the researchers found that Facebook use is not only different from both relaxation and stress, but also corresponds neatly to a "core flow state", in which a person is optimally focused on a task, finds that task to be just challenging enough to hold interests, and finds it intrinsically rewarding. It is the same state that world-class performers from athletes to musicians experience when they are performing their best.
The IULM team hypothesizes that part of the allure of online social networks, and the reason for their explosive growth over the last decade, is the inherently enjoying feelings of engagement one experiences while using them.
Complete results can be found in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
Source: Institute of Human, Language and Environmental Sciences, IULM University
