Shadowing Practice: 5 Crazy Ways Social Media Is Changing Your Brain Right Now - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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With social media sites being used by one third of the entire world,
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With social media sites being used by one third of the entire world,
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they've clearly had a major influence on society.
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But what about our bodies?
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Here are five crazy ways that social media and the internet are affecting your brain right now.
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Can't log off?
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Surprisingly, 5-10% of internet users are actually unable to control how much time they spend online.
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Though it's a psychological addiction as opposed to a substance addiction,
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brain scans of these people actually show a similar impairment of regions that those with drug dependence have.
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Specifically, there's a clear degradation of white matter in the regions that control emotional processing,
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attention, and decision making.
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Because social media provides immediate rewards with very little effort required,
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your brain begins to rewire itself,
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making you desire these stimulations,
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and you begin to crave more of this neurological excitement after each interaction.
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Sounds a little like a drug, right?
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We also see a shift when looking at multitasking.
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You might think that those who use social media or are constantly switched between work and websites are better at multitasking,
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but studies have found that when comparing heavy media users to others,
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they perform much worse during task switching tests.
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Increased multitasking online reduces your brain's ability to filter out interferences
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and can even make it harder for your brain to commit information to memory.
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Like when your phone buzzes in the middle of productive work.
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Or wait, did it even buzz?
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Phantom vibration syndrome is a relatively new psychological phenomenon where you think you felt your phone go off,
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but it didn't.
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In one study, 89% of test subjects said they experienced this at least once every two weeks.
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it would seem that our brains now perceive an itch as an actual vibration from our phone.
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As crazy as it seems,
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technology has begun to rewire our nervous system,
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and our brains are being triggered in a way they never have before in history.
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Social media also triggers a release of dopamine, the feel-good chemical.
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Using MRI scans, scientists found that the reward centers in people's brains are much more active
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when they're talking about their own views as opposed to listening to others.
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Not so surprising, we all love talking about ourselves, right?
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But it turns out that while 30-40% of face-to-face conversations involve communicating our own experiences,
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around 80% of social media communication is self-involved.
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The same part of your brain related to orgasms,
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motivation, and love are stimulated by your social media use,
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and even more so when you know you have an audience.
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Our body is physiologically rewarding us for talking about ourselves online.
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But it's not also self-involved.
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In fact, studies on relationships have found
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that partners tend to like each other more if they meet for the first time online rather than with a face-to-face interaction.
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Whether it's because people are more anonymous or perhaps more clear about their future goals,
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there's a statistical increase in successful partnerships that started online.
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So while the internet has changed our verbal communication with increased physical separation,
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perhaps the ones that matter the most end up even closer.
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Speaking of social media, we had you ask us questions on Twitter,
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Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, Google+, and every other social platform we could find,
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and did a Q&A video over on ASAP Thought,
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so if you feel like getting some insider info on ASAP Science and behind the scenes,
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check it out with the link in the description.
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Got a burning question you want answered?
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Ask it in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter.
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We also finally got a P.O.
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Box for all of you amazing science lovers who have requested to send us mail or other stuff over the years.
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And we'd love to hear from all of you,
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so feel free to use the address on the screen or in the description box.
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And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

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Context & Background

In today's digital age, social media has reshaped not just our lives but also the way our brains function. Given that one-third of the global population engages with social media platforms, understanding its impact is crucial. This video delves into the psychological effects of social media on our cognitive processes, revealing surprising insights about behaviors and brain changes related to online interactions. For English learners, this discussion provides excellent material for improving language skills, particularly in IELTS speaking practice and conversational fluency.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • Can’t log off? - A phrase that highlights addiction to social media.
  • Like when your phone buzzes in the middle of productive work. - Refers to the distractions caused by notifications.
  • Phantom Vibration Syndrome - The phenomenon where one feels their phone buzzing even when it is not.
  • Social media communication is self-involved. - Emphasizes the tendency to discuss personal experiences online.
  • We all love talking about ourselves, right? - A conversational turn that encourages sharing personal stories.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Shadowing is an effective technique to improve pronunciation, intonation, and overall fluency in English. Here’s how you can practice using this video:

  1. Watch the video closely: Pay attention to the speaker’s tone and pace. Repetition is key when using a shadowing app.
  2. Choose a phrase: Select one of the top phrases listed above that resonates with you. This helps focus your practice on realistic, everyday communication.
  3. Listen and repeat: Play the segment where the phrase is used. Pause the video after the speaker finishes the sentence and try to replicate their pronunciation and intonation.
  4. Record yourself: Use your smartphone or computer to record your speech. This will help you identify areas where you need improvement.
  5. Practice regularly: Incorporate the shadowing technique into your daily routine for consistent improvement. The more you practice, the more fluent you’ll become in spontaneous conversation.
  6. Engage in conversation: Try to use the newfound phrases in real conversations. This will not only reinforce memory but also build your confidence in using English dynamically.

By following these steps, you'll make the most out of your experience learning English with YouTube videos. Embrace the changes in your brain and enjoy the remarkable ways social media has transformed how we communicate while honing your speaking skills!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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