Why do we share (so) much on social media?

Have you ever wondered why we share (so) much of our lives on social media? I have. There are certainly many reasons why. But (being a man of facts and figures) I recently came across new data that could help explain this phenomenon.

A 2012 study found that disclosing information about ourselves activates the reward centers in our brains. Just like eating or having sex. People were even willing to forego money in order to share information about themselves.

But why would our brain reward us for sharing information the same way it rewards us for finding food? Does this type of sharing also increase our chances of survival, say like food does?

I think the answer is yes. We are social animals who live in groups. A group of humans who feel pleasure for sharing information about what they’re doing and discovering about their environment, will tend to share more. This provides them with a competitive (survival) advantage because the elements of such group will be better informed and hence more likely to succeed — survive and reproduce.

Now you know (one of the reasons) why you feel so compelled to share.

A special thank you to inesvanmuysen for her help and feedback on this story!