In a newly published study from the journal
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, researchers have uncovered a surprising connection:
Individuals with higher levels of inflammation, as evidenced by a marker known as C-reactive protein, tend to use social media more frequently.Historically, inflammation has been linked to numerous health conditions, ranging from heart disease to rheumatoid arthritis. On a psychological level, prior research has suggested that systemic inflammation might influence behavior — particularly social affiliations, which makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. When our ancestors faced infections, they might have been compelled to seek out social connections to increase their chances of survival. However, in today's digitized world, social media platforms serve as a significant outlet for these affiliations.
For researchers David Lee, Tao Jiang, Jennifer Crocker, and Baldwin Way the relationship between inflammation and our modern-day social interactions held more to unpack.
Drawing on recent evidence, the present research posited that higher inflammation levels might be associated with increased social media usage. This is based on the theory that inflammation can enhance motivations to seek out social connections — in a modern context, this is done namely through platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.To investigate this theory, the researchers conducted three studies with a combined total of 524 undergraduate students from three different Canadian universities. These students provided blood samples to measure C-reactive protein levels, an established indicator of systemic inflammation. They also filled out questionnaires about their social media habits, capturing details such as the frequency, type, and duration of their usage. This approach allowed the scientists to gauge if there was a direct link between inflammation markers and online social behavior.
Comment: Considering that the vaccination was recommended for pregnant women (AND children), one wonders whether it was the greed of pharmaceutical companies that lead to a calculable risk THEY were prepared to take (without informed consent, of course), or an ice-cold calculation to bring the population a little closer to the 'Klaus Schwab dream' of a compliant, asocial automaton populace. The jury's still out on that one.
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