According to a recent study, young people’s brain chemistry may change as a result of internet addiction.According to a recent study, brain chemistry alterations in young individuals with internet addiction may result in more compulsive behaviours.
The brain was examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a research that was published in PLOS Mental Health, according to The Guardian.
Memory and decision-making are impacted by the findings, which show reduced connectivity in brain regions linked to active thinking and increased activity in certain brain regions during rest.
It follows that internet addiction affects young people’s neural networks in the brain, resulting in addictive behaviours and behavioural changes related to mental health, development, intellectual capacity, and physical coordination.
The researchers looked at 12 earlier studies that included 237 youths (ages 10 to 19) who were officially diagnosed with internet addiction between 2013 and 2023.
This year, a poll found that over half of British teens claimed to be addicted to social media.
The principal author of the study, Max Chang, is an MSc student at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (GOS ICH). He stated that “the brain is particularly vulnerable to internet addiction-related urges” throughout adolescence.
These include the following: “compulsive internet usage, cravings towards usage of the mouse or keyboard and consuming media” since adolescence is a time of tremendous changes in people’s personalities, intelligence, and biology.
He stated that “they may struggle to maintain relationships and social activities, lie about online activity and experience irregular eating and disrupted sleep” .
Chang expressed his optimism that the results will make it possible to successfully treat early indications of internet addiction with therapy.
He called attention to the need of “another possible avenue of prevention from a public health standpoint”—that is, educating parents about internet addiction.
He continued: “Parents who are aware of the early signs and onset of internet addiction will more effectively handle screen time, impulsivity, and minimise the risk factors surrounding internet addiction.”
