This is a review for INFLUENCED The Impact of Social Media on Our Perception written by BRIAN BOXER WACHLER, MD which I received a copy of.
As a Blogger we have to have Social Media accounts which can become overwhelming at times. As new one sites pop up at times then we have to decide if we should join or not. Which is where I am with Tik Tock.
If I join how does it work? How often do I post and would I need a YouTube Channel? The questions go on and one. Which is why I was fascinated to read INFLUENCED: The Impact of Social Media on Our Perception finding out how be became hooked.
Which I do not need as I have enough to do as it is and having something else to distract me wouldn’t be good. Through this book I’ve learned more about myself and if I do join Tik Tock I know what to do to not became obseesed.
If you or your family is on Social Media I recommend INFLUENCED: The Impact of Social Media on Our Perception not only to you but to everyone you know who may ever use Social Media not only in business but in there personal lives.
About:
Is anyone safe from succumbing to a Social Media addiction? In INFLUENCED: The Impact of Social Media on Our Perception (Rowman and Littlefield; November 1, 2022; ISBN-13: 9781538164198; $27.95 Hardcover), Brian Boxer Wachler, MD, takes on that thorny question. A verified influencer on all Social Media platforms and known as “Dr. Brian” for his fun videos dispelling health myths and lies, Dr. Boxer Wachler dipped his toe into TikTok during the COVID shutdowns at the urging of his twin teenage daughters.
At first, he got a kick out of the ego boost and dopamine rush. But soon, he was in way over his head. “My daughters had innocently created a TikTok Frankenstein,” he confesses. “I was out of control, subsumed by my number of views, likes, shares, and followers.” Ultimately, his daughters and wife felt compelled to conduct a TikTok intervention after he amassed millions of followers.
“Being an influencer,” attests Dr. Boxer Wachler, “has the potential to be addictive and destructive. I am not alone with my predicament. What I experienced seems to be the norm, rather than the exception—and yet there does not exist a manual for influencers, followers, and users on how to prevent this addiction or how to cope with it as it gets out of hand.” He wrote INFLUENCED partly to fill that void.
Informed by the Author’s experience, interviews with numerous Social Media Influencers, and extensive research in neuroscience and psychology, INFLUENCED sheds light on how Social Media affects our views, our decision-making, our mental and physical health, our Society, and our children—and what we can do about it. “Social Media is like fire,” says Dr. Boxer Wachler. “You can use it for illumination or it can badly burn you.”
Whether you’re a Social Media user, an aspiring influencer, a concerned parent, or simply interested in the impact of Social Media on Politics, Society, and everyday life, INFLUENCED is a richly informative and fascinating read.
You’ll learn:
- What it takes to become a Social Media Influencer—and how to determine whether the Influencers you trust are truly representing themselves and the facts.
- Why children and teens are especially susceptible to Social Media Influencers—and how Social Media impacts developing brains differently from those of adults.
- How Social Media use really affects our ability to focus and our productivity—and whether a Social Media habit or following makes us less Social in real life.
- How to recognize the early warning signs of a Social Media addiction—and how to gauge when an Influencer’s following becomes a cult.
- How to protect the right to freedom of expression on Social Media platforms while cracking down on paid propaganda and the spread of blatant, harmful lies.
- Insider tips on becoming a successful and responsible Social Media Influencer and living a balanced life…and more.
- How to check if Influencers who do paid (sponsored) posts are authentic about the endorsement (if they believe in it/use it)?
- What the algorithms look for to launch a video viral.
- How to do brand/company endorsements to steer clear of FTC (Federal Trade Commission) violations and fines.
Whether you are an Influencer or the one being Influenced, you do have control, Dr. Boxer Wachler stresses. His advice: “View, like, comment, share, and post until you’re as satiated as taking down a Las Vegas buffet—but do so with both eyes wide open to be sure it’s worth your time and energy; be discriminating about what information you believe as truth; and always choose to spend time with your flesh-and-blood loved ones above the ones flashing on your screen. That is precisely what INFLUENCED is all about.”
About the Author: BRIAN BOXER WACHLER, MD
Widely known as “Dr. Brian,” is a popular Social Media Influencer, most prominently on TikTok. His previous book, Perceptual Intelligence: The Brain’s Secret to Seeing Past Illusion, Misperception, and Self-Deception shook the worlds of Neuroscience and Psychology, coining the acronym PI for Perceptual Intelligence and educating countless readers on how to better understand the world around them and make better decisions.
The medical director of the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute in Beverly Hills and a staff physician at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, he has pioneered medical and surgical treatments that have become industry standard. Dr. Brian is one of only two Influencers worldwide to be selected as a member of the Advisory Committee for Identifying Credible Sources of Health Information in Social Media for the National Academy of Medicine, Council of Medical Specialty Societies, World Health Organization. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their twin teenage daughters, who encouraged him to become a Social Media Influencer.
Brian Boxer Wachler — Influenced
Click HERE for link to Tamron Hall appearance
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
