One of you asked if I’d do posts from time to time recommending things that I’ve found useful in one way or another. I think he had computer/blogging type stuff in mind, but I’m going to widen the possibilities to things in life that are just plain useful. And today I’m going to talk about why hugging is useful, or why social media is useful… Depends on how you look at it. Welcome to “Mandy Mentions”…
Haven’t you wondered why it’s so stinking easy to get sucked into social media?
Well, my bloggy-bffs, here’s why:
Sometimes referred to as the “cuddle” chemical, oxytocin — a hormone produced in the brain — stimulates feelings of trust and security, reduces anxiety levels and may even produce positive sexual side effects. It sounds like a miracle drug, so how does one get their hands on it? Perhaps, simply by tweeting. ~ from Mashable
So, some smart people did a test on this guy’s brain and discovered that his oxytocin shot up from tweeting.
This explains SO much about a lot of social media junkies I know… Oh my gosh it explains a lot.
You can read Mashable’s writeup here.
OR FastCompany’s full article reporting this fascinating (albeit limited) research HERE.
So, what do you think? Does your oxytocin level rise when you get your social media fix? Does facebook and twitter and blogging give you a sense of trust and security, bring down your stress level, and that other thing they mentioned up there ( 
)?
OH, and for those of you who know someone who can’t put the iPhone down – maybe they just need a hug.
