Association of Habitual Checking Behaviors on Social Media With Longitudinal Functional Brain Development

LiveMore ScreenLess’ Summary:

It is well-known that adolescence is a critical time for brain development. Does use of social media platforms affect brain development? 

In the first insight into how habitual social media behaviors may alter adolescent brain development, a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics, Association of Habitual Checking Behaviors on Social Media With Longitudinal Functional Brain Development, demonstrates how use of Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat affects the brains of 12 -13 year olds longitudinally (comparing the same subjects over time) over a three year period.

One hundred and sixty-nine (169) young people from three rural public high schools in North Carolina were studied. For the first part of the study, they self-reported the frequency at which they checked the social media sites. In the second part, their neural responses were measured for anticipating social rewards and avoiding social punishments. Social rewards were maximized to hold the students’ engagement by varying when “Likes” and notifications arrived, known by BF Skinners as the Variable reinforcement schedule. This reinforcement showed increases in neural activation, or how patterns are created in the brain. Adolescents who engaged in high (habitual) checking behaviors showed distinct neural patterns, which suggests that habitual social media checking early in adolescence is associated with divergent brain development over time.

Maza MT, Fox KA, Kwon S, et al. Association of Habitual Checking Behaviors on Social Media With Longitudinal Functional Brain Development. JAMA Pediatr. Published online January 03, 2023.