Ep. 1: Your Mind on TikTok
Listen now
Our minds are where the magic happens - actually they’re where everything happens. Yet, we don’t always have a great understanding of how they work. UvA Radio’s newest podcast, Minds Matter, is here to have a deeper look at that thing in your head.
Every episode, Beth Fisher, Ava Ma de Sousa and Noah Simhy will chat about a topic, bringing you some of the psychology and neuroscience research about it along the way.
​
We’re kicking it off with something light (or so we thought). What’s the deal with TikTok? Why do the kids love it so much? Does it really affect our brains the same as cocaine? Also - are we old?
Learn More
Academic Articles and Books (and some videos)
-
The neural reward system and social media: Sherman, L. E., Hernandez, L. M., Greenfield, P. M., & Dapretto, M. (2018). What the brain ‘Likes’: neural correlates of providing feedback on social media. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 13(7), 699-707.
-
How social media affects our psyches: Albright, J. M. (2019). Left to their own devices: How digital natives are reshaping the American dream. Prometheus Books.
-
Check out a talk by Dr. Julie Albright here
-
-
Effects of ‘too much internet’ on the brain:
-
Effects of TikTok on Pop Culture, looking at why people consume and create: Zuo, H., & Wang, T. (2019). Analysis of Tik Tok User Behavior from the Perspective of Popular Culture. Frontiers in Art Research, 1(3).
-
TikTok & the unexpected - Neuroscience of Humour: Vrticka, P., Black, J. M., & Reiss, A. L. (2013). The neural basis of humour processing. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14(12), 860-868.
-
Gossip & Language Evolution: Dunbar, R., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (1998). Grooming, gossip, and the evolution of language. Harvard University Press.
-
Our brains are so big because we live in big groups: Dunbar, R. I. (1993). Coevolution of neocortical size, group size and language in humans. Behavioral and brain sciences, 16(4), 681-694.
-
-
Check out a TED talk by Csikszentmihalyi on flow here
-
-
Reinforcement Schedules & the reward system: Cardinal, R. N. (2006). Neural systems implicated in delayed and probabilistic reinforcement. Neural Networks, 19(8), 1277-1301
Check out a Khan Academy video about reinforcement schedules here
Lighter Reading
-
New Yorker Article on TikTok and ByteDance: Tolentino, J. (2019, September 23). How TikTok holds our Attention. The New Yorker.
-
Vox profile on TikTok teens: Jennings, R. (2019, October 29). The not-so-secret life of a TikTok-famous teen. Vox.
-
Forbes article/interview with Dr. Julie Albright about TikTok: Koetsier, J. (2020, January 18). Digital Crack Cocaine: The Science Behind TikTok’s Success. Forbes.
ABOUT US
Beth Fisher and Ava Ma de Sousa are Ph.D. students studying psychology, philosophy and neuroscience.
​
On Minds Matter, we discuss a range of subjects, from conspiracy theories to falling in love, to nostalgia. We explore the neuroscientific and psychological research behind these issues while talking through our own personal experiences.
.png)