Influenced

The Impact of Social Media on Our Perception

Brian Boxer Wachler

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Year: 2022
• eBook ISBN: 9781538164204
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Business Communication
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

"This engaging, eye-opening book covers everything anyone would ever want to know about social media influencers." —Booklist, Starred Review
Unpacks and pulls the curtain back on what happens to our brains and our behaviors each time we addictively engage social media and the influencers we encounter there.
Individuals seeking to widen their tribes of friends, fans, and followers have an abundance of resources for building their digital footprints and social media popularity. All of this seems well and good from the perspective of revenue, exposure, and perhaps ego-building, but what is the impact of this on the human brain and our behavior? Is anyone paying attention to the lurking side effects of the social media influencer revolution?
As "Dr. Brian" Boxer Wachler—one of the world's most esteemed authorities on human perception—reveals in Influenced: The Impact of Social Media on Our Perception, we are oblivious to the mental evolution that is already in process. Science is proving that our addictive reliance upon social media and its influencers is having a demonstrable impact on how we think, feel, and perceive everything around us— and even how we react to stimuli. One might think that a "Like" is nothing more than a split-second tap on a device. However, brain scans tell a different story. Our brains literally light up with every buzz, ding, alert, and ring in anticipation of how our network is responding to us. As we tap away at our devices, we anxiously seek the approval of others—often people we don't know.
Influenced unpacks what happens to our brains and our behaviors each time we click "Like"; follow an influencer; consume a video; share or reshare an article; post or repost a photograph; write a comment; pile on a trend;; just scroll for new content; and why do we keep coming back for more. Dr. Boxer Wachler includes his own social and medical findings and highlights them with interviews with top influencers, the latest studies, and pop-culture anecdotes.

Table of contents

• Foreword by Tony Youn, MD
• Acknowledgments
• Prologue: Confessions of an Influencer
• Introduction: We Are All under the Influence
• 1 Hooked on Clicks What is a social media influencer?
• 2 Following the Herd How is our Perceptual Intelligence (PI) being hijacked by social media influence?
• 3 Brain Cravings Are smartphones better than sex?
• 4 Easy Prey Why are our young so susceptible to influencers?
• 5 It’s All an Illusion How some influencers misrepresent themselves—and the facts
• 6 Imminent Danger What serious threats are hidden in plain sight with social media influence?
• 7 Celebrity Sells How social media influencers are a different breed than the traditional celebs we’ve loved all these years
• 8 Sexual Solicitations Are influencers turning us into sex addicts?
• 9 Driven to Distraction Are we unfocused and unproductive because of social media influence?
• 10 Clicks and Cults When does an influencer’s following become a cult?
• 11 So, You Want to Be an Influencer How to be a responsible, successful influencer and lead a balanced life
• 12 Living with Social Media How can users, influencers, platforms, and businesses safely coexist?
• Conclusion: The Future of Social Media Influence
• Epilogue
• Appendix A: Glossary
• Appendix B: Hidden Meanings of Commonly Used Social Media Emojis
• Notes
• Selected Bibliography
• About the Author