Social media divides us but it's not our fault, says psychiatrist

Anders Hansen explains how social networks exploit the brain's inherent weakness

20240209 Swedish psychiatrist Anders Hansen

"Our brain loves stories. It loves simple stories," Swedish psychiatrist Anders Hansen said in an interview with Nikkei Asia. (Photo by Stefan Tell)

SAYUMI TAKE, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Social media continues to divide our societies as the platforms are a mine of false information and radical arguments. But users aren't really to blame for falling prey to this, according to Swedish psychiatrist Anders Hansen.

Social networking services make users excessively fearful or angry and polarize communities because "a biological mechanism" in us is being "played out against us," the best-selling author of The Happiness Cure and other books on the human brain told Nikkei Asia in a recent interview.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.