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The brains of children and young people who use social media intensively develop differently than their peers who use it more sparingly. This according to a long-term study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina with 169 subjects attending middle school in the US state. At the outset of the research, participants were asked how often they use the popular platforms Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Their responses ranged from less than once to more than 20 times a day.

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Over a three-year period, the researchers used an MRI scan to record brain activity during specific tasks on each platform in which participants expected social feedback from their peers. “The findings suggest that children who use social media more frequently are overly sensitive to feedback from their peers,” says research leader Eva Telzer. Maria Maza also fears that this heightened sensitivity to social feedback could encourage future compulsive use of social media.

“Most adolescents start using social media at one of the most important stages of brain development,” says co-author Mitch Prinstein, who is also lead scientist for the American Psychological Association is working. “Our research shows that examining social web behavior could have long-term and important consequences for adolescent neural development, which is crucial for parents and policymakers as they weigh the benefits and potential harms associated with social media use. average”.

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Previous research shows that 78% of 13-17 year olds interact with their platforms at least every hour. 35% almost consistently use at least one of the top five social media platforms. “The study results suggest that repeated checking of social media over a three-year period in 12- to 13-year-old boys may impair their brain development,” Telzer concludes.

www.unc.edu