Social Media And How It Could Affect Developing Brains

Canadian school boards are suing social media giants for nearly $3 billion, claiming such platforms have rewired the way children think, behave and learn.

There continues to be much debate about whether or not social media truly harms the mental health of teens and adolescents, and whether or not it conclusively causes physical changes to the brain. Although there have been studies that have examined the effect of social media and the mental health and well-being of adolescents, most reviews have found them to be inconclusive according to The New York Times that cited an article in Current Opinion in Psychology.

This of course, does not mean that social media does not or will not have a detrimental effect on the physical and mental health of our youth. 90% of teens aged 13-17 have used social media, and teens are online on average nine hours a day, not including time spent on homework, according to The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

The sheer amount of time American youth are spending on social media platforms should be concerning for all parents and educators given how much the adolescent brain is developing during the teen years.

During adolescence, the brain undergoes major changes in the way neurons, or nerve cells that send messages throughout the body, connect to other parts of the body. Areas of the brain that regulate emotions, impulses and cognitive control are particularly susceptible to external influences, including that of social media.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, in his U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, writes, “Frequent social media use may be associated with distinct changes in the developing brain in the amygdala (important for emotional learning and behavior) and the prefrontal cortex (important for impulse control, emotional regulation, and moderating social behavior), and could increase sensitivity to social rewards and punishments.”

Many social media platforms use likes, comments and notifications in their algorithms, and this can invariably lead to compulsive and addictive behaviors in youth constantly checking social media and potentially seeking validation from peers and friends. In addition, teens are constantly exposed to highly curated, often idealized representations of others’ lives that can translate into feelings of low self-worth when comparing themselves with others.

It is not surprising that the 2019 UK Millennium Cohort Study published in Journal of eClinical Medicine found greater social media use to be associated with online harassment, poor sleep, body weight dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and higher depressive symptoms. How this affects the physical development of the brain in adolescents needs to be studied further. This will help public health experts, parents and educators understand what physiologic changes are occurring in the brain as a result of the mental health ramifications of social media.

Although a causal effect between social media use and teen mental health has not been demonstrated, public health officials and parents particularly should not shy away from addressing social media use in our youth. Adolescents are using these platforms for large amounts of time throughout the day, and we are only beginning to understand how this use affects the development of the brain and how it is impacting their mental health.

There is no doubt that social media has allowed youth to express themselves in creative ways, and can connect people instantaneously even across continents. This can absolutely result in the emergence of meaningful relationships that can provide positive value for teens. Despite its benefits; parents, educators, public health experts and policy makers should also understand that there could be serious harm from the use of social media, particularly with respect to how it is shaping the developing brain and its effect on the mental health of adolescents.

Teens being online on average nine hours a day means that less time is spent interacting with others in person. There can be no substitute for engaging with real people, learning from them, developing social mannerisms and forming social bonds in real-time.