Psychology: Social Media

     We all use it religiously, communicating with our friends and talking to new ones. On the surface social media is a great idea! It is a fantastic tool to network, stay connected and advertise. However what we don't realize is that humans are social beings and need to satisfy our need to interact with others, and social media takes this away from us in a sense. What exactly would psychologists such as Maslow and B.F. Skinner think about social media and its impact on society?  To answer that question we can take a look at Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

     As you can see on the chart, social media has nothing to do with physiological needs and safety. 10 years ago one's belonging needs only consisted of "tangible" social interaction but in today's day and age, a person must also consider social media as an outlet for attaining a need to belong.

     But this begs the question, is sitting behind a computer really beneficial to an individuals development? I would say no, social media is in fact the opposite. It ostracizes people and does not promote confidence growth. One gains a fake sense of love, affection and belonging just by setting up an account and "friending" other users. In essence social media actually makes people less social. Try this: look at your list of friends on Facebook. Are you friends in real life with half of these people? The majority of younger Americans would say no.

     Lets take a psychological approach on the subject. Imagine you are at home on a rainy day with nothing to do. Miserable; you begin to browse through your friend Katie's photos of her Bahamas trip. You can see she is having the time of her life; smiling and playing in the sun. Are you going to feel happy for Katie? My best guess is no. In fact, I guarantee you will begin to feel depressed about your "boring life" and become envious/jealous of Katie in the Bahamas.

     In our capitalist society, people are concerned with accolades and status. In a way, Facebook and LinkedIn both allow people to flaunt their accolades and experiences without being judged. These platforms actually allow people to instantly get any information about a user that they have provided such as phone numbers, job history, schooling and much more. On top of the fact this is a safety hazard, people tend to include any information that makes them look more decorated. The photos, statuses and information you see on your "timeline" or "newsfeed" can alter your perception and easily change your mood. And if your like me, most of the things I see on my "newsfeed" are irrelevant and mostly negative. So I try not to use Facebook that much.

     So what exactly can a reader take away from this? Put the phone down once in a while! You don't need to check Facebook and Twitter every second. Keep it simple and use Facebook to communicate and share with real friends. Let us remember that Facebook is not a real place nor is Myspace; and although the information you see is legit, it's all 1's and 0's in a computer! 

Marijuana & Tinnitus?

Yes, a strange combination indeed. But what does smoking have to do with hearing and ear function?


Studies by the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Otago have shown that Cannabinoid neurons specifically known as CB1 receptors are active in the Cochlear Nuclei; located in your brain stem.

The Ventral (Left) and Dorsal(Right) Cochlear Nerve.

In 2007 Dr. Yiwen Zheng and his team studied how the desensitizing of CB1 receptors in the ventral cochlear nucleus is affected by injecting rats with Salicylate (Asprin), a Tinnitus inducing agent. When injected, the rats showed a decrease in the number of neurons expressing CB1 receptors, a process known as Downregulation. Zheng came to the conclusion that, "CB1 receptors in the cochlear nucleus may be important for auditory function and that a down-regulation of CB1 receptors in the ventral cochlear nucleus may be related to the development of tinnitus"

So what does all this mean?! Well first off it is important to understand that downregulation is a biology term for "gaining tolerance". Tolerance for a drug is built when the drug is smoked in large amounts over a long period of time. Over this time the receptors will become less sensitive to the cannabinoids and not work as well.

This study begs the question: "Does smoking Marijuana cause tinnitus?"

A study done in 2010 by Zheng injected Salicylate-induced rats with synthetic cannabinoids to look for behavior changes associated with Tinnitus. Rats who were given more of the synthetic cannabinoid displayed some worsening of symptoms. Zheng noted, " These results suggest that cannabinoid receptor agonists may not be useful in the treatment of salicylate-induced tinnitus and that at certain doses, they could actually exacerbate the condition".


This most recent study shows how Marijuana can actually worsen tinnitus in some rats. On top of the fact that Marijuana can amplify symptoms of Tinnitus, long term abuse of marijuana can heighten the risk of tinnitus.


Although I'm sure this phenomenon will be further researched, I believe people should be educated about these little developments even if they are not confirmed. Just remember the next time you want to get a "buzz", your wish might literally come true!

References

1. Zheng, Yiwen. "Cannabinoid Receptor Down-Regulation in the Ventral Cochlear Nucleus in a Salicylate Model of Tinnitus." PubMed.org. NCBI, 16 Feb. 2007. Web. 10 July 2012. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17376618>.
2. Zheng, Yiwen. "The Effects of the Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists, WIN55,212-2 and CP55,940, on Salicylate-induced Tinnitus in Rats." PubMed.org. NCBI, 01 June 2010. Web. 10 July 2012.