Excessive Internet Use Disrupts Key Parts of the Teenage Brain
Internet addiction alters teenage brains in ways that encourage other addictive behaviors.
August 16, 2024
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.
Average daily time spent on social media platforms among teenagers in the United States in 2023
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.
Functional Changes in the Brain
Another study, published in 2023 in JAMA Pediatrics, investigated a group of 169 sixth- and seventh-grade students from a middle school in rural North Carolina.
Association of Habitual Checking Behaviors on Social Media with Longitudinal Functional Brain Development
Researchers split the students into smaller groups according to how often they reported checking their Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat feeds.
The habitual user group members checked their feeds 15 or more times daily, moderate users between one and 14 times, and nonhabitual users less than once daily.
The children received three brain scans at roughly one-year intervals while they played a computer game that offered rewards and punishment in the form of smiling or scowling faces.
While playing the game, frequent checkers demonstrated changes in brain regions linked to reward processing, which typically responds to experiences like winning money or risk-taking.
They also had difficulty controlling impulsive or habitual behaviors.
The findings indicate that teens who grow up checking social media more often become hypersensitive to feedback from other kids.
They also experience fewer or less intense positive feelings from previously rewarding stimuli, which could drive them to pursue more potent feelings through increased reward-seeking behavior.
However, the effects of habitual checking may depend on the individual, according to the authors.
In some children, checking could become “compulsive and problematic” while others engage in “an adaptive behavior that allows them to better navigate their increasingly digital environment,” the authors suggested.
Signs of Disruption
Anzalone said that much like with other addictions, people addicted to the internet tend to exhibit a pattern of behaviors that impede daily functioning, such as excessive preoccupation with screen use and withdrawal symptoms when screen use is not possible.
Other notable features of internet addiction include the following:
Inability to reduce time spent online
Lack of interest in other activities
Continued screen use despite real-world problems
Use of gaming to remove negative moods
Jeopardizing jobs, school, or relationships due to screen use
Treatment
According to Anzalone, treating teen internet addiction requires strong family involvement.
He pointed out that most of the evidence regarding the treatment of internet addiction revolves around a combination of family therapy “to help promote effective communication and collaboration between caregivers and children,” promoting other activities to replace “hazardous media use,” and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to address distortions that patients may have about themselves or their screen usage.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness.
Numerous research studies suggest that CBT leads to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life.
In many studies, CBT has been demonstrated to be as effective as, or more effective than, other forms of psychological therapy or psychiatric medications.
CBT is based on the idea that how people think about situations can affect their feelings and behaviors.
Family therapy is a type of talk therapy focused on improving relationships between family members, which can help treat specific mental health or behavioral issues.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 57 randomized controlled trials found that CBT, in combination with other treatments, was among the most effective therapies to treat internet addiction.
“In many cases, the internet addiction is the symptom and not the cause of the problem, so it’s essential that we address any underlying mental health conditions that may be exacerbating the issues, such as depression, anxiety, or ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder),” Anzalone added.
However, he emphasized that in severe cases, a “digital detox” may be needed.
In this detox, exposure to nonessential screen use is gradually reduced, and mindful habits and better-quality activities replace constant digital stimulation.
Only after this detox can children be safely reintroduced to technology.
Prevention
Anzalone suggested that parents be educated about how harmful excessive screen use is for children and be provided with tools to help them raise children with healthy screen habits, the most important of which is parental support and interaction.
“For young children, nothing will ever replace the quality time a caregiver spends with their child,” he said.
He added that the more parents help their children explore their environment, encourage play outside, and provide children with emotional, social, and persistence coaching to help them better connect with the world and build resiliency to handle life’s stressors, “the less we will see them engage in various negative and maladaptive behaviors.”
