Student Research Guide WQ25/ Impact of Social Media on Brain Development

 SCHOLARLY ARTICLE: Abrams, Zara, “Why Young Brains are Especially Vulnerable to Social Media." American Psychological Association, 2023, https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2022/social-media-children-teens. 

• This article, published by the American Psychological Association (APA), explores the neurological effects of social media on young, developing brains. It discusses how social media influences brain plasticity, attention, and emotional regulation. This source is authoritative because it is from a leading psychological organization and cites peer-reviewed research, making it highly relevant to discussions on adolescent brain development.

PROQUEST DATABASE: Allem, Jon-Patrick. "Social Media and Adolescent Health." American Journal of Public Health, vol. 114, no. 10, 2024, pp. 980-982, https://skagit.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/social-media-adolescent-health/docview/3111683510/se-2. 

• This article provides a broad overview of how social media affects adolescents' health, discussing both physical and mental impacts such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. The American Journal of Public Health is a highly credible, peer-reviewed journal specializing in public health research. This source is valuable for understanding the public health perspective on social media use among adolescents.

ENCYCLOPEDIA ENTRY: Atkins, William A. “Social Media and Social Media Studies.” Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, edited by Jacqueline L. Longe, 6th ed., Gale, 2020, https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NjUzMDY=?aid=10291.

• This encyclopedia entry provides a general overview of social media and its implications for health and behavior. While it does not present original research, it offers summarized, well-referenced information from medical and psychological studies. This source is useful for gaining background knowledge on social media's role in health and research studies related to its effects.

ACAMDEIC SEARCH COMPETE DATABASE: Aydin, Orkun, et al. “Association between Executive Functions and Problematic Social Networking Sites Use.” Journal of Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology, vol. 42, no. 6, Aug. 2020, pp. 634-45, https://doi-org.skagit.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/13803395.2020.1798358. 

• This study investigates the relationship between social media use and executive function deficits, showing that excessive social media engagement can impair decision-making, impulse control, and cognitive flexibility. Published in a peer-reviewed neuropsychology journal, this source is highly credible and provides important scientific evidence on how social media affects brain development.

SCOLARLY ARTICLE: Crone, Eveline A., and Elly A. Konijn. "Media Use and Brain Development During Adolescence."  Nature Communications, vol. 9, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1-10, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x.   

• This article explores how media exposure influences adolescent brain development, focusing on changes in neuroplasticity, cognitive processing, and emotional regulation. As a publication in Nature Communications, a high-impact peer-reviewed journal, this source is highly reliable and offers strong scientific data to support research on social media’s neurological effects.

 INTERNET WEBSITE: Faveri, Michelle, and Sidoti, Olivia. “Teens, Social Media and Technology.” Pew Research Center, 12, Dec. 2024, https://teens-social-media-and-technology-2024/.

• This research report from Pew Research Center presents statistics on social media use among teenagers, including trends in platform preferences, frequency of use, and digital habits. Pew Research Center is a widely respected nonpartisan source, making this report highly credible for understanding current social media behaviors and usage patterns.

OPEN SOURCE PDF: Firth, Joseph, et al. “The 'Online Brain': How the Internet May Be Changing Our Cognition.” World Psychiatry: Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), vol. 18, no. 2, 2019, pp. 119-129, https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20617. 

• This article discusses how internet use alters cognitive processes, including attention span, memory retention, and social cognition. Published in World Psychiatry, a leading psychiatric journal, this study provides authoritative insights on internet use's mental and neurological effects, making it useful for discussing social media’s impact on the brain.

 SCOLARLY ARTICLE: Maza, M.T., et al.. “Association of Habitual Checking Behaviors on Social Media With Longitudinal Functional Brain Development.” JAMA Pediatrics, vol. 177, no. 2,  2023, pp. 160-167, doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4924.

• This study investigates how frequent social media checking behaviors affect long-term brain development in adolescents. It provides neurological evidence that compulsive engagement with social media changes brain structure and function. JAMA Pediatrics is a highly respected medical journal, making this source an essential scientific reference.

INTERNET WEBSITE: Mostafavi, B. “Average Teens Received More Than 200 App Notifications a Day.” Michigan Medicine, 26, Sep. 2023, https://average-teen-received-more-200-app-notifications-day.

• This article highlights research showing that teens receive over 200 app notifications per day, which affects their focus, attention, and mental well-being. Michigan Medicine, a trusted medical institution, provides reliable research-based reporting. This source is useful for illustrating real-world digital distractions and their cognitive effects on adolescents

• This article defines neuroplasticity and its role in brain development, explaining how external stimuli, such as social media, can shape neural pathways. Encyclopedia Britannica is a widely respected general reference source, making this a strong foundational resource for understanding the science behind adolescent brain changes.

• This article provides a detailed, peer-reviewed study on how screen time affects impulsivity and ADHD symptom development in adolescents. The research connects excessive digital media exposure to changes in cognitive and neuropsychological functions, making it highly relevant to discussions on social media’s impact on brain development. The study is credible because it is published in Scientific Reports, a journal from the Nature Publishing Group, which ensures rigorous academic standards.