“Shocking Brain Makeover: Is Your Teen’s Internet Obsession Rewiring Their Mind?”

A recent study conducted by University College London has revealed that excessive internet usage can have detrimental effects on the brains of teenagers.

The research indicates that internet addiction may lead to “negative behavioral and developmental changes,” as reported by various sources.

According to Tag24 News, “These changes could result in teenagers struggling to maintain relationships and social activities, as well as lying about their online activity. Teens addicted to the internet might also experience disrupted sleep patterns and develop irregular eating habits, the researchers noted. This comes after experts discovered that internet addiction appears to alter the connections between brain networks in teenagers.”

Familyguide previously reported on the study:

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 believe such signaling changes could suggest these behaviors can become more difficult to perform, potentially influencing development and well-being.”

The study analyzed data from 12 studies conducted in Korea, China, and Indonesia, examining 237 young people aged 10 to 19 who were diagnosed with internet addiction.

Tag24 explained, “Researchers have defined the issue as a person’s inability to resist the urge to use the internet, which negatively impacts their psychological well-being as well as their social, academic, and professional lives. All of the young participants in the study underwent brain scans to examine how different regions of the brain interact with each other — also known as functional connectivity — while they were resting and completing tasks.”

As reported by Psychiatrist, “The studies reviewed for this paper all utilized magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the functional connectivity of participants’ brains both at rest and during task performance — or, in this case, internet use.”

The researchers found that the study participants exhibited decreased functional connectivity in areas of their brains responsible for active thinking.

News24 stated, “Academics said these changes can be linked to addictive behaviors as well as behavioral changes associated with intellectual ability, physical coordination, mental health, and development.”

The study authors wrote, “Given the influx of technology and media in the lives and education of children and adolescents, an increase in prevalence and focus on internet-related behavioral changes is imperative for future children/adolescent mental health.”

Lead researcher Max Chang noted that teenagers’ brains are particularly susceptible to internet addiction.

They are prone to “compulsive internet usage, cravings towards usage of the mouse or keyboard, and consuming media,” he stated. “The findings from our study show that this can lead to potentially negative behavioral and developmental changes that could impact the lives of adolescents. For example, they may struggle to maintain relationships and social activities, lie about online activity, and experience irregular eating and disrupted sleep.”

Another author noted that while the internet is useful for various purposes, it becomes problematic when it affects daily life.

“We would advise young people to enforce sensible time limits for their daily internet usage and ensure that they are aware of the psychological and social implications of spending too much time online,” she said.

Forbes reported, “Researchers caution that the use of fMRI scans to investigate internet addiction is limited, so the number of studies involving adolescents is relatively small. Most of the studies were carried out in Asia, and future research should compare results from Western countries, they add.”