technology News

Is Your Teen Addicted to the Internet?

technology July 8, 2024No Comments

Published: July 8, 2024

Is Your Teen Addicted to the Internet?

By Movieguide® Contributor

A new study has found troubling results on how internet addiction may harm the teen brain.

“The behavioural addiction brought on by excessive internet use has become a rising source of concern since the last decade,” the study’s authors wrote, per CNN.

VeryWellMind defines internet addiction as when a “person becomes dependent on the Internet or other online devices as a maladaptive way of coping with life’s stresses.”

The study featured “12 neuroimaging studies of a few hundred adolescents ages 10 to 19 between 2013 and 2022.”

“The subsequent behavioural changes [of internet addiction] are associated with the mechanisms relating to the areas of cognitive control, reward valuation, motor coordination, and the developing adolescent brain,” the study found. “Our results presented the FC alterations in numerous brain regions of adolescents with IA leading to the behavioural and developmental changes.”

Furthermore, the study revealed that the potential damage caused to one’s brain from internet addiction also negatively affected a teen’s ability to function in daily life.

CNN reported, “When participants clinically diagnosed with internet addiction engaged in activities governed by the brain’s executive function network — behaviors requiring attention, planning, decision-making and impulse control — those brain regions showed substantial disruption in their ability to work together, compared to those in peers without internet addiction. The authors think such signaling changes could suggest these behaviors can become more difficult to perform, potentially influencing development and well-being.”

Some skeptics question whether internet use is what is actually causing the negative results of the studies. Although “internet addiction” is not a documented mental disorder, the negative effects of its overuse have been reported.

Movieguide® previously stated, “While the science suggests there is a link between social media and mental health, there is often a lack of clarity on whether social media is influencing an individual’s mental health or whether an individual’s mental health is influencing their use of social media, said Dr. Sandro Galea, chair of an ad-hoc National Academies committee that authored the analysis of research and dean of the Boston University School of Public Health.”

Is it possible to beat an internet addiction?

It is, and Mass General shared a few tips for how parents can help their children:

Talk with a doctor
“Pay attention to when you use the Internet or mobile apps. If you’re using the Internet or mobile apps for homework or work, that’s okay. If your time online is taking away from friends, family and other things you enjoy, it’s time to unplug.”
Silence notifications
Use an app that tracks your screentime usage
Participate in a non-internet-related activity

While internet addiction has detrimental effects on teen behavior, parents are the first line of defense for protecting their kids from the harmful habit.