Social Networking raises oxytocin
Friday, July 9th, 2010A ‘Neuroeconominist’ by the name of Paul Zak has apparently established that social networking has similar effects on the brain as does having real friendships or even being in love. The university professor has spent years studying oxytocin and its role in guiding human relationships and now claims that it is the reason why social network sites such as Twitter and Facebook are so popular and addictive.
The answers could have profound ramifications. As Zak and others deepen their study of oxytocin, we may better understand why people with friends live longer and get sick less, and why we are compelled to be social animals online and off. If these changes apply in the world of social media, the implications for business — for every brand, company, and marketer trying to understand the now intimately networked world — could be significant. Yes, there may be a dark side to all this: What if corporations come to understand human behavior and its root mechanisms so well that they can manipulate our biochemistry to trick us into buying more? But that’s a question for later. For now, I just put myself in the hands of Dr. Love.
SOURCE : Social Networking affects brain like falling in love

