How does social media affect intelligence?
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Heavy social media users perform worse on cognitive tests, especially those that examine their attention and ability to multitask. Not only does this lead to poorer cognitive performance, but it shrinks parts of the brain associated with maintaining attention.
But for individuals, the implications are less positive. Social networking probably isn’t making you smarter. In fact, it could be making you dumber by supplying answers and insights without requiring any actual thinking, so that your analytic powers begin to waste away like an unused muscle.
Can you influence your IQ?
Researchers have previously shown that a person’s IQ is highly influenced by genetic factors, and have even identified certain genes that play a role. They’ve also shown that performance in school has genetic factors. But it’s been unclear whether the same genes that influence IQ also influence grades and test scores.
Findings from this study indicate that social media use has positive benefits to the function of inhibitory control, suggesting that these media impact the processing of information and cognitive function. In addition, these results indicate that social media use can be stimulated through instructional support.
Social media may affect an adolescent’s development physically, cognitively, or socially, which can possibly lead to issues with their overall psychological well-being, such as stress, anxiety or depression.
What factors influence IQ?
Even though the genetic susceptibility plays a crucial role on the IQ of the individual, various modifiable environmental factors like education, premature birth, nutrition, pollution, drug and alcohol abuse, mental illnesses, and diseases can have an influence on an individual’s IQ.