The three-year cohort included 169 sixth- and seventh-grade students from three rural North Carolina schools. Checking was self-reported at wave 1; annual fMRI showed different neural trajectories for habitual and nonhabitual checkers.
social media checking behaviors in early adolescence may be associated with changes in the brain’s sensitivity to social rewards and punishments.
Abstract conclusions
The three-year cohort included 169 sixth- and seventh-grade students from three rural North Carolina schools. Checking was self-reported at wave 1; annual fMRI showed different neural trajectories for habitual and nonhabitual checkers. Supports a longitudinal association, not proof that social media caused harmful brain changes.