Psychological and neural basis of viral online internet challenges: A review

Abstract

Psychology and human neural response are centrally associated with social media interaction. An increase in social media use in recent years has been associated with an increase in the number of internet viral trends. The number of internet challenges has been engaging millions of people to take part in it. In this article, we are trying to focus on human behavior and its neural basis of making internet trends viral. Dopaminergic pathways and one’s social dominance have been keen role players in this. The feedbacks and increased reaction on one’s uploaded post that sums up increased peer attention on social media can be linked with dopamine pleasures and the reward cycle. Dopaminergic reinforcement triggers user tagging multiple other users for taking up challenge. Challenges and trends involved displaying physical fitness provides one with its increased social ranking as it can be traced with fittest having advantages of social dominance within peers. Cortisol response may play an important role in negative domain response. Hence activation of dopaminergic pathway and benefit of elevated social ranking can be the reason for an increased number of users attempting social media trends.