With technological advancements taking place, social media has turned out to be an integral part of our daily lives. After waking, before going to bed, or during the day, we make sure to check social media in order to keep ourselves updated about what’s happening around us and in the lives of our near and dear ones.
With social media consuming a major chunk of our day, we must question if it has any psychological disadvantages.
Recently, a study was conducted that showed social media usage can alter our brain development. Yes, you read that right!
The Research
A study was conducted by neuroscientists at the University of North Carolina and was published in JAMA Pediatrics. The sample used was 169 adolescents between ages 12 and 15; an age when the brain develops rapidly.
Titled “Association of Habitual Checking Behaviors on Social Media With Longitudinal Functional Brain Development”, the research was conducted over a period of three years.
The researchers received a full scan of the participants’ brains thrice in three years in intervals of 365 days.
What Did It Reveal?
The research showed that in adolescents who are habitual of checking social media feeds constantly, their brain development takes place differently.
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Teenagers who engaged more with social media had a heightened sensitivity to social media rewards from peers, as compared to teenagers who engaged less with social media and had a declining interest in social rewards.
This study is the first to capture brain changes that take place as a result of engaging with social media. It revealed that habitual users checked social media 15 times or more, moderate users checked 5 to 6 times, and non-habitual users checked it once a day.
Limitations Of The Study
An associate professor at the University of North Carolina and one of the authors of the research, Eva H. Telzer said, “Teens who are habitually checking their social media are showing these pretty dramatic changes in the way their brains are responding, which could potentially have long-term consequences well into adulthood, sort of setting the stage for brain development over time.”
However, she added that we can’t make a causal claim that social media is changing the brain.
Hence, such research is a hint to us that we must limit social media usage to just once or twice a day, or else our brain’s development will alter. It is also a reminder that rather than chatting on social media apps, take out time and meet your friends face to face.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The New York Times, The Quint, Neuroscience News
Find the blogger: Palak Dogra
This post is tagged under: Social Media, Teenagers, brain development, youth, adolescents, social media usage, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, research, survey
Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.
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