Most people have been led to believe that increased screen time and exposure to social media cause a shortened attention span, leading to decreased mental performance. This common belief has recently been debunked as a myth. After a project spanning over 20 years, researchers from the Marchson Institute of Science have found a strong correlation between snap score and IQ. Extensive mental tests were conducted on some of the world’s foremost Snap addicts, the researchers found that the Snap users had scores that averaged over 50% higher than the control group of normal people. This shocking discovery has led to even more tests that revealed even more shocking truths.
Dr. Spector, the head of the project, said, “When we did brain scans of the Snapchat user, we found that their brains were marginally larger than the average Joe; once we looked deeper, we found that they had millions more neurons than have ever been recorded.” For the readers that don’t have a doctorate in neuroscience, neurons are cells that make up the brain, they send signals to perform mental tasks. More neurons means more smart. These subjects have neuron levels so high that the researchers are predicting a potential for IQ to triple when using Snapchat. But what about the app causes this drastic shift in brain power?
Another more recent study has revealed the factors that make Snapchat beneficial for the brain. Scientists have found that for every snap sent, brain activity is stimulated to levels never reached by the human mind before. The factors that make Snapchat so beneficial are the shoulder and ceiling photos sent. According to Specter, the way the camera on Snapchat processes these photos simulates the optic nerve in the eye, which then sends a message to the brain, where the frontal lobe gets stimulated. And somehow, those photos manage to exercise both the left and right hemispheres in the cerebrum. This leads to more creativity and increased speech and comprehension skills; overall, causing more brain activity and a higher IQ.
The Stroble Research Center found that not only does Snapchat increase brain activity and IQ but it also leads to more meaningful and intense relationships. According to the study, the quick-add feature on Snapchat leads to an increased amount of oxytocin being released by the brain. Oxytocin is the love hormone. With this hormone being released, Marchson confirmed there is a correlation between healthy and positive relationships and Snapchat quick add. The research center found this correlation by observing some teens’ relationships who met face to face and others who met through quick add. The couple who met on Quick Add’s success was particularly exciting for the scientists, as the teens’ brain activity was also increased alongside their oxytocin levels.
Businesses and academic institutions around the globe are rapidly trying to adapt to these new findings. Multiple states are implementing Snapchat classes into the required grade school curriculum; in these classes, students are developing their snap-sending skills, as well as learning how to interpret snaps better. Instructor John Johnson said, “This recent change has also given the schools a great opportunity to reassess the importance of traditional classes; many are planning to get rid of unimportant classes like English, Math, and Science to focus on subjects that will truly benefit the youth.”Colleges are also offering majors such as Snapology and Streakonomics. Thousands of students are enrolled in these programs right now, but there have yet to be any careers that need these degrees, but the universities are sure they will be very helpful for something. A recent poll revealed that over 75% of businesses will now take the application with the highest snap score, even if the rest of the credentials completely favor the person with the lower score.
This news has already left a massive impact on the world. Snapchat has increased its user count to over 8.062 billion, and everyone is now working hard to get as addicted as possible to this revolutionary social media app. The future is certainly bright for America and the world in general as Snapchat use becomes much more prominent.
