United States: Research shows that young people who surf the Internet become addicted because their brain chemistry alters and may develop other bad habits.
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The study in PLOS Mental Health was a systematic review of research that utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate connectivity between brain areas in Internet addiction, as the Guardian reported.
They said that they established that it was not only apparent throughout several neural networks of the young people’s brains but that certain sections of the brain are more ‘Turning On’ when people are idle as opposed to when they are actively engaged in performing other tasks.
At the same time, total abnormal functional connectivity density decreases in parts of the brain that are active in thinking, known as the executive control network of the brain, which is associated with memory and decision-making.
More about the findings
The study concluded that these changes led to cases of addictive action and tendency among adolescents and a set of behavioral changes associated with mental condition, developmental status, intelligence level, and motor skills.
In a cross-sectional study on internet addiction, the researchers and their team searched and assessed 12 prior studies containing 237 participants, all between 10 and 19 years old, with a clinical diagnosis of inter-addiction between 2013 and 2023.
It was this year when a survey revealed that almost half of all teenagers in Britain think that they are social media addicts.
What more have the experts to say?
The study’s lead author and an MSc student at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (GOSICH), Max Chang said, “Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage during which people go through significant changes in their biology, cognition and personalities,” as the Guardian reported.
Chang added, “As a result, the brain is particularly vulnerable to Internet addiction-related urges during this time, such as compulsive Internet usage, cravings towards usage of the mouse or keyboard, and consuming media.”
“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,” further added.
Internet addiction alters neural networks
According to Chang, as the study demonstrated “how internet addiction alters the connection between the brain networks in adolescence,” it would further allow early symptoms of internet addiction in order to be treated effectively.
He said, “Clinicians could potentially prescribe treatment to aim at certain brain regions or suggest psychotherapy or family therapy targeting key symptoms of internet addiction,” as the Guardian reported.
“Importantly, parental education on internet addiction is another possible avenue of prevention from a public health standpoint. Parents who are aware of the early signs and onset of internet addiction will more effectively handle screen time and impulsivity and minimize the risk factors surrounding internet addiction,” Chang continued.