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Human Brain Operates Like Facebook, Study Claims

by Amar Toor on January 12, 2011 at 09:01 AM

facebook on the brain Got Facebook on the brain? It could be because Facebook is your brain. Sort of.

That's what Carnegie Mellon neurology researcher Alison Barth claims in a new study published in the December 22nd issue of a journal called Neuron. As LiveScience explains, Barth and her team of researchers arrived at their conclusion after identifying and observing a small group of highly active neurons in the brain's cerebral cortex. Although these neurons were small in number, they were responsible for executing major brain functions, including "conscious thought, language and spatial reasoning."

This observation led Barth to compare this minority group of neurons to the handful of hyperactive Facebook users who keep the social network humming along, even if the majority of users lie dormant. "It's like Facebook. Most of your friends don't post much -- if at all," Barth said. "But, there is a small percentage of your friends on Facebook who update their status and page often. Those people are more likely to be connected to more friends, so, while they're sharing more information, they're also receiving more information from their expanded network, which also includes other more active participants."

So, if you're a compulsive Facebook user, pat yourself on the back. It's your tireless status posting and 'FarmVille' playing that's keeping the site afloat, even as most other members devote their time to less productive endeavors -- like using their brains.

Tags: brain, facebook, FarmVille, neurology, neurons, research, science, SocialNetworking, study, top

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