This Is How Your Brain Responds to Social Influence

This Is How Your Brain Responds to Social Influence

I’m a doormat when it comes to peer pressure. Jump off a 32-foot (10 meter) diving board without any experience? Sure! Propel off a cliff my first time outdoor climbing? I’ll try!

Those were obviously terrible decisions for someone afraid of heights, and each ended with “I really should’ve known better.” But it illustrates a point: it’s obvious that our decisions don’t solely come from our own experiences. From what career you choose to what sandwich you want for lunch, we care about what our friends, families, and complete strangers think—otherwise, Yelp wouldn’t exist.

In academic speak, observing and learning from other people is called “social influence,” a term that’s obviously crossed into pop culture lexicon. Yet neuroscientists have struggled to understand why this happens. How do our brains process others’ decisions? And how does it weigh those decisions against our (potentially saner) judgment?

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Beyond the digital divide

Beyond the digital divide

How parents and teens are learning to navigate the risks of life online.

Carmel Molony is Facebook friends with her daughter, Frankie, who just turned 14. She also follows her daughter’s Instagram account. But then Frankie’s digital life disappears into Snapchat and Carmel knows she cannot follow.

“I could be on Snapchat with her but I still wouldn’t be able to know her activity. It’s not a platform like the others,” she said. “As a parent, even if I wanted to, I simply couldn’t say I want to see all your snapchats. But I know she uses it a lot.”

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