Scientists have begun investigating the consequences of living one’s life online, and what they’ve discovered is discouraging—especially for teens.
Researchers have linked compulsive use of the internet to changes in the brain that can feed addictive behaviors and undermine intellectual and physical development. Given the stakes involved, experts like Anthony Anzalone, a clinical psychologist at Stony Brook Medicine, are calling for change.
“I think it’s overdue that we start educating children as early as possible about the dangers of unhealthy and mindless screen use,” Anzalone told The Epoch Times.
Anzalone notes that “excessive and addictive screen use” is a top concern for parents—and for good reason. Last year, U.S. teenagers spent an average of 4.8 hours on social media platforms every day, according to a Statista survey. That’s 33.6 hours a week, the equivalent of a full-time job according to the IRS.
Teen Brain Development Affected
Researchers are now digging into what exactly happens in the teenage brain after it has become addicted to the internet.
A systematic review from the University College London, published in June in PLOS Mental Health, looked at 12 studies involving 237 youths aged 10 to 19 who had a formal diagnosis of internet addiction between 2013 and 2023. All the studies were conducted in Asian countries.
Researchers defined internet addiction as an inability to resist the urge to use the internet, which negatively affects mental well-being, as well as aspects of social, educational, and work life.
All studies reviewed used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine how areas of the brain interact with each other (functional connectivity) in participants living with internet addiction while at rest and while completing a task. The effects were seen throughout multiple regions of the adolescent brain.
The studies showed a mixture of increased and decreased activity in parts of the brain that are activated during rest, along with an overall decrease in functional connectivity in parts of the brain used in active thinking.
The findings indicate these changes lead to addictive behaviors and tendencies in adolescents and behavioral changes associated with intellectual ability, physical coordination, and mental health and development.
