Social media gets teens hooked while feeding aggression and impulsivity, and researchers think they know why – CBC

Canadian scientists view changes in brain’s reward system as people watch clips

Nov 16, 2023

Kids who spend hours on their phones scrolling through social media are showing more aggression, depression and anxiety, say Canadian researchers.

Emma Duerden holds the Canada Research Chair in neuroscience and learning disorders at Western University, where she uses brain imaging to study the impact of social media use on children’s brains.

She and others found that screen time has fallen just slightly from the record 13 hours a day some Canadian parents reported for six- to 12-year-olds in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re seeing lots of these effects. Children are reporting high levels of depression and anxiety or aggression. It really is a thing.”

When parents said their children spend more time on screens and the grownups are stressed, then anxiety and depression scores in the kids also increase.

“Absolutely, I think this is a public health issue,” Duerden said when asked about her findings and those of others.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/smartphone-brain-nov14-1.7029406