Ever notice how easy it is to feel connected to someone if they're wearing your team's jersey or a t-shirt of your favorite band?

You might think it's cause it's familiar or you found something in common, but in truth, it's another way we find belonging.

In this mini-episode of Brain Blown, we explore how our brains create powerful connections beyond human relationships:

• Discover how our brains attach to ideas and symbols as strongly as to people
• Learn how these attachments can trigger reactions as intense as physical disgust
• Uncover how our deep-seated need to belong shapes our behavior and morality

Join us for a quick dive into the fascinating world of belonging, where your brain treats logos and ideologies with the same intensity as human connections.

For more ways to get involved with the Brain Blown Community, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/brainblownpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about our offers!

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES

• "The Emerging Neuroscience of Social Media" Dar Meshi, Diana I. Tamir, and Hauke R. Heekeren
• "Social Influence on Positive Youth Development: A Developmental Neuroscience Perspective" Eva H. Telzer, Jorien van Hoorn, Christina R. Rogers, Kathy T. Do
• "The neuroscience of social feelings: mechanisms of adaptive social functioning" Paul J. Eslinger, Silke Anders, Tommaso Ballarini, Sydney Boutros, Soren Krach, Annalina V. Mayer, Jorge Moll, Tamara L. Newton, Matthias L. Schroeter, Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza, Jacob Raber, Gavin B. Sullivan, James E. Swain, Leroy Lowe, Roland Zahn
• "Brain and Social Networks: Fundamental Building Blocks of Human Experience" Emily B. Falk and Danielle S. Bassett
• "Mind the Gender Gap" Gina Rippon
• "Change: How to Make Big Things Happen" Damon Centola

Your brain on social media: It's not just addictive, it's transformative. Here's why.

In this episode of the Brain Blown Podcast, we're logging into the neuroscience of social media and belonging.

We'll explore:

• Why that notification "ping" feels so irresistible
• How social media taps into our primal need for connection
• The surprising ways our brains react to likes, comments, and shares
• Why teenagers' brains are particularly susceptible to social media's allure
• The neural pathways that light up when we're scrolling – and how they're changing over time

From the prefrontal cortex to the ventral striatum, we're mapping the brain's social media hotspots. Join us as we uncover the fascinating relationship between our neurons and our newsfeeds.

Plus, we'll discuss how this digital revolution is providing neuroscientists with unprecedented insights into human behavior and social cognition.

Tune in, and you might just see your next post through a whole new lens.

Look out for more mini-episodes on this topic in the coming weeks!

For more ways to get involved with the Brain Blown Community, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/brainblownpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about our offers!

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES

• "The Emerging Neuroscience of Social Media" Dar Meshi, Diana I. Tamir, and Hauke R. Heekeren
• "Social Influence on Positive Youth Development: A Developmental Neuroscience Perspective" Eva H. Telzer, Jorien van Hoorn, Christina R. Rogers, Kathy T. Do
• "The neuroscience of social feelings: mechanisms of adaptive social functioning" Paul J. Eslinger, Silke Anders, Tommaso Ballarini, Sydney Boutros, Soren Krach, Annalina V. Mayer, Jorge Moll, Tamara L. Newton, Matthias L. Schroeter, Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza, Jacob Raber, Gavin B. Sullivan, James E. Swain, Leroy Lowe, Roland Zahn
• "Brain and Social Networks: Fundamental Building Blocks of Human Experience" Emily B. Falk and Danielle S. Bassett
• "Mind the Gender Gap" Gina Rippon
• "Change: How to Make Big Things Happen" Damon Centola

Around the pandemic we saw an explosion of social media influencers -

You know, those ads of random internet people (maybe you've seen before) casually chatting to you about a product or experience they had that you'll totally love.

As it turns out, these so-called "peer" influencers may be changing our brains more than we realize.

Enjoy this mini episode as not only a wrap-up to influence, but a preview for one of the next full episodes coming out this season!

For more ways to get involved with the Brain Blown Community, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/brainblownpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about our offers!

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES

Introduction to the Journal of Marketing Research, Special Issue on Neuroscience and Marketing -- Colin Camerer and Carolyn Yoon

Persuasion, Influence, and Value: Perspectives from Communication and Social Neuroscience -- Emily Falk and Christin Scholz

What can neuroscience offer marketing research? -- Billy Sung and Nicholas J. Wilson

Neuroscience in Marketing: Assessment of Advertisement; Memory by Means of Facial Muscles; Movement Analysis -- Calga Pinar, Sanem Alkibay

When you hear "Coca-Cola" what's the first thing that comes to mind?

Is it their bright red logo? Their lively commercials that appeal to the senses? The taste of their soda?

Coke is one of the leading brands that successfully uses Neuromarketing to influence their audience.

And they're not alone.

But for this mini episode, we'll focus on just 3: Coke, Apple and Disney-Pixar; and how these iconic brands stay iconic, both in the media and in our brains.

For more ways to get involved with the Brain Blown Community, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/brainblownpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about our offers!

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES

Introduction to the Journal of Marketing Research, Special Issue on Neuroscience and Marketing -- Colin Camerer and Carolyn Yoon

Persuasion, Influence, and Value: Perspectives from Communication and Social Neuroscience -- Emily Falk and Christin Scholz

What can neuroscience offer marketing research? -- Billy Sung and Nicholas J. Wilson

Neuroscience in Marketing: Assessment of Advertisement; Memory by Means of Facial Muscles; Movement Analysis -- Calga Pinar, Sanem Alkibay

Ever wonder how ads seem to know exactly what you want?

Or wonder why you keep seeing the same ad over and over?

Turns out, it's all in the game of influence.

In this episode, we dive into the world of neuromarketing, exploring how media and ads constantly influence us and how our brains process these messages to shape our decisions.

Tune in to learn more, and look out for a few more mini-episodes along this topic next month.

______________________________________________

For more ways to get involved with the Brain Blown Community, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/brainblownpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about our offers!

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES

Introduction to the Journal of Marketing Research, Special Issue on Neuroscience and Marketing -- Colin Camerer and Carolyn Yoon

Persuasion, Influence, and Value: Perspectives from Communication and Social Neuroscience -- Emily Falk and Christin Scholz

What can neuroscience offer marketing research? -- Billy Sung and Nicholas J. Wilson

Neuroscience in Marketing: Assessment of Advertisement; Memory by Means of Facial Muscles; Movement Analysis -- Calga Pinar, Sanem Alkibay

Things start becoming addictive when we start chasing the want and not the like.

Yes, you want something... but are you enjoying it for the sake of enjoyment... or are you numbing something you don't want to feel instead?

Following our full episode, the Neuroscience of Pleasure, this mini episode shines a giant light on our nervous system and its key role in managing pleasure and avoiding addiction.

For more ways to get involved with the Brain Blown Community, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/brainblownpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about our offers!

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES The Neuroscience of Happiness and Pleasure by Morten L Kringelbach and Kent C. Berridge

Neuroscience of Affect: Brain mechanisms of pleasure and displeasure -- Kent C. Berridge and Morten L. Kringelbach

The Neuroscience of Pleasure and Happiness By Luciano Marinelli

A neuroscience perspective on pleasure and pain -- Dan-Mikael Ellingsen, Morten Kringlebach, and Siri Leknes

The balance of pleasure and pain is on an ever-swinging scale. (Cause they use the same receptors!)

And encouraging others' pleasure enters us onto a whole new playing field.

Following our full episode, the Neuroscience of Pleasure, this mini episode starts to steer us away from our own experiences of pleasure, and towards how our feelings (and actions) can affect others.

__________________________________________________

For more ways to get involved with the Brain Blown Community, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/brainblownpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about our offers!

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES The Neuroscience of Happiness and Pleasure by Morten L Kringelbach and Kent C. Berridge

Neuroscience of Affect: Brain mechanisms of pleasure and displeasure -- Kent C. Berridge and Morten L. Kringelbach

The Neuroscience of Pleasure and Happiness By Luciano Marinelli

A neuroscience perspective on pleasure and pain -- Dan-Mikael Ellingsen, Morten Kringlebach, and Siri Leknes

If dopamine isn't pleasure (like we all think it is)...

Then what is pleasure?

Following our full episode, the Neuroscience of Pleasure, this mini episode dives more into dopamine's role while also highlighting a key neurotransmitter that doesn't get enough attention and might be the key to truly enjoying life's pleasures.

Lastly, we look at some common pleasures - sex, food, etc. - and discuss how to enjoy them to the fullest.

__________________________________________________

For more ways to get involved with the Brain Blown Community, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/brainblownpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about our offers!

If you have any topic suggestions for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us an email at info@brainblownpodcast.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES The Neuroscience of Happiness and Pleasure by Morten L Kringelbach and Kent C. Berridge

Neuroscience of Affect: Brain mechanisms of pleasure and displeasure -- Kent C. Berridge and Morten L. Kringelbach

The Neuroscience of Pleasure and Happiness By Luciano Marinelli

A neuroscience perspective on pleasure and pain -- Dan-Mikael Ellingsen, Morten Kringlebach, and Siri Leknes