Can Social Media Train Us Like Skinner's Pigeons?

In today's time, the influence of social media and how it affects society is more important than ever. Most people have experienced opening their phone, going on social media for just a quick check, and before they know it, 30 minutes have passed. This behavior may seem like a lack of control or self-discipline, but learning theory offers a more in-depth explanation. B. F. Skinner's research on operant conditioning demonstrated that behaviors are strengthened through reinforcement over time. Social media platforms use many of the learning theory principles discussed in class, the textbook, and throughout the field of psychology. Every time a user receives a message, notification, comment, like, or new post, the behavior of checking the app again is reinforced.

One concept from learning theory is the variable-ratio schedule of reinforcement and how it applies to social media usage. This schedule involves unpredictable rewards, meaning a person never knows when they will receive their next reward. According to the text, Introduction to Learning and Behavior, behaviors maintained through variable-ratio schedules are often highly persistent because the next reinforcement may occur at any time. Social media mirrors this process and functions in a very similar way (Powell et al., 2016). Frequently, there may be nothing new to see or check, but occasionally there will be an exciting post, notification, or important message. As these rewards appear unpredictably, people continue checking their phones and opening their apps, even if they are not receiving a reward every time. This idea is supported by research as well. Lindström and colleagues (2021) examined more than one million social media posts from over 4,000 users. Their findings showed that social media engagement closely followed the principles of reward learning, suggesting that likes and other forms of online engagement can influence behavior in much the same way as other rewards.

Many believe social media is one of the most powerful tools in today's world and is therefore a significant real-world example of operant conditioning. While these platforms make it easier for people to stay connected and informed, they may also encourage habits to form that users do not fully recognize. What makes social media especially interesting is that users often believe they are completely in control of their decisions, even though their behavior may be influenced by reinforcement principles established decades ago. Learning theory helps explain why social media can be difficult to use in moderation and suggests that understanding these principles may be one of the first steps toward using technology more intentionally.

References

Lindström, B., Bellander, M., Schultner, D. T., Chang, A., Tobler, P. N., & Amodio, D. M. (2021, February 26). A computational reward learning account of social media engagement - PMC. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7910435/ 

Powell, R. A., Honey, P. L., & Symbaluk, D. G. (2017). Introduction to learning and behavior. Cengage Learning.