'I can't deal with thinking my own thoughts': Is Facebook as destructive as drugs?

A new documentary shows how social media can not only be addicting, but can negatively affect relationships as well.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Daily Mail reported a new documentary in the UK features Sara Cox, a woman who has purposely refused to get a Facebook account, and the biological and mental effects using social media has on her.

Before registering for an account, Cox participated in a Liverpool University experiment in which her brain was scanned with an MRI as she looked at black-and-white photos.

The images were of complete strangers and close friends. At the conclusion of the "friendship test," neuroscientist Dr. Joanne Powell discovered distinct differences in Cox's brain when she looked at her friends versus when she looked at strangers.

"What is unique is what happens in the brain when you are processing your closest friends, you activated parts of the brain that process emotion and long term memory in the cerebral cortex," Powell told Cox, adding, "It shows your friends are really lighting up your brain."

Cox was happy to hear the results and said she was "touched" that her brain lit when she saw her friends, then wondered if that was why social media was so popular.

Teen Mary Stringer admitted she moved to a new school and spent her lunch hour alone, leading to her dependency on Facebook.

"I define an addict as anyone who is dependent on something. I would be compulsively checking Facebook and if I couldn't I would feel quite stressed. I would deactivate my account but then a few days later activate it again."

Stringer's addiction was so bad that she has been visiting psychotherapist Simon Jacobs, who specializes in treating people with clinical addiction to social media.

"Liking" messages, sharing pictures and sitting at your computer or with your nose in your phone "creates a virtual world where you believe you are getting that interaction but you are not, you are not getting what it is like to be in the room with someone."

As a matter of fact, your brain subconsciously understand this fundamental sociobiological fact, which is why people can be as addicted to social media as others are to Class A drugs, such as heroin, cocaine and ecstasy.

While Stringer felt better to be part of "social" media, Jacobs explained that she was really just losing herself to an empty program.

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Cox revealed her surprise "that something so socially acceptable is potentially so dangerous."

A group of 17-year-old teenagers were asked to partake in an experiment to see how addicted some youths are. They had their phones taken for seven days and were interviewed before and after their phone-less week.

The first interview revealed phones with internet access allowed them to waste time watching videos, viewing images and communicating with friends.

One girl, Daisy, admitted, "I can't deal with thinking my own thoughts, I check online what other people are doing, so you can't be bored anymore as you are so easily entertained."

Daisy also admitted her Instagram "self" was "more polished and a lot cooler" than she felt she really was.

When the group was interviewed afterward, they admitted the experience was "stressful" and "isolating." They also had trouble meeting each other and were not always successful in reaching friends on landlines without having their numbers stored in an address book app.

Each shared that they felt they were "missing out" since they were unable to check on their friends using social media apps.

Though they had plenty of complaints, the teenagers did admit they had more time to exercise and partake in creative activities.

Professor Michael Boulton, a child psychologist at Chester University, said, "Like real world friendships, online friendships can be good for the soul. Any kind of friendship is potentially very satisfying for us and as it helps us develop our different points of view and ability to cooperate.

"But if we gave children the opportunity to only operate online they wouldn't be happy, their lives would be less rich and satisfying."

When Cox finally registered and opened a Facebook account, she was impressed at the option to find and catch up with hold school friends and noted the ability for people to connect with their pasts.

"I guess what I have learned is social media can play a part in friendships," Cox stated. "But there is nothing better than being in the same room as your friends to make you feel whole."

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