Teenage brain on social media

ScienceDaily

31 May 2016
University of California--Los Angeles

Teenage brain on social media
Study sheds light on influence of peers and much more

Published also in the journal Psychological Science

Summary:

Teenagers' brains have been scanned while they used social media in a first-of-its-kind study. Among the new findings: The same brain circuits that are activated by eating chocolate and winning money are activated when teenagers see large numbers of 'Likes' on their own photos, and teenagers are definitely influenced by their online 'friends,' even if they barely know them.

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www.sciencedaily.com...
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The 32 teenagers, ages 13-18, were told they were participating in a small social network similar to the popular photo-sharing app, Instagram. In an experiment at UCLA's Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, the researchers showed them 148 photographs on a computer screen for 12 minutes, including 40 photos that each teenager submitted, and analyzed their brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. Each photo also displayed the number of likes it had supposedly received from other teenage participants -- in reality, the number of likes was assigned by the researchers. (At the end of the procedure, the participants were told that the researchers decided on the number of likes a photo received.)
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In the teenagers' real lives, the influence of their friends is likely to be even more dramatic, said Mirella Dapretto, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA's Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
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Seeing photos that depict risky behavior seems to decrease activity in the regions that put the brakes on, perhaps weakening teens' "be careful" filter, she said.

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Hmmmmmmmmmmmm
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No huge surprise about peer approval being very rewarding to teens.
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It was a good point, however, that online peer approval by a much larger group of peers--most of whom are likely little known by the teen and not known at all by parents . . . could easily open the teen up to being encouraged into much more risky behaviors than might be likely with face to face friends.
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And that issue about the part of the brain that inhibits, puts the breaks on doing idiotic, risky things being weakened in such contexts and online relationships--that's a bit alarming, imho.
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I'm curious how ATSers with teens monitor and moderate their online activities???
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a reply to: BO XIAN

I'm curious how ATSers with teens monitor and moderate their online activities???

In my home it is just monitored and limited. Initially when they began as young teens (two daughters currently at home) with phones and internet I monitored a lot more heavily than today. Trust is earned. I no longer have their passwords although if I wanted them they would be provided. I am connected to them however VIA FB, twitter, snapchat and the like. Not so much to monitor THEM as much as to monitor OTHERS.

I think it's important to maintain balance. I say that as a total and complete ATS junkie! But seriously it is important to have other activities that don't require the internet connection. Sports, outdoor adventures, hobbies, sightseeing, quality time with friends and family, you know.

Speaking openly and honestly and perhaps at times very graphically about consequences for certain actions/behaviors helped us in our world of them learning to navigate the internet and life in general. So far so good.

I will say that when my boys were home, that they were more of a challenge. Not to be a 'genderist' but that was MY experience.

a reply to: TNMockingbird

YOU SOUND LIKE A VERY WISE MOM. I assume Dad is around and also wise.

imho . . .

Sons can be a challenge on boundaries--particularly when it comes to acting macho, individuating etc.

Daughters can be a challenge when it comes to emotional expression, dress etc.

What's your perspective on such differences between sons and daughters?

I know there are exceptions to such generalizations.

a reply to: BO XIAN

What's your perspective on such differences between sons and daughters?

Thank you for asking.

There are 5 children total. I didn't raise the boys from birth so they came to me as nephews. They were already, practically, the people that they were going to be. The youngest was 10. My difficulty in rearing them for the time that I had was in helping them to unlearn certain behaviors. I quickly learned that every minute of the day needed to be structured and what social media time was permitted had to be heavily monitored. It certainly changed the dynamics of our relationship when Aunt became 'MOM' although we did not address each other as Mother and Sons.

I saw that their needing of peer acceptance was much greater than my daughters although their past very easily explained a lot of that to me. Their interest (for two of them) was sports, sex, and any other 'macho' type activity (here I go generalizing again) like hunting/fishing/weightlifting. And in that particular order LOL. The middle boy who is bi sexual had interests that were similar to my oldest daughter. Music, fashion, and popularity in his peer group by being shocking (that trait was not one of my daughter's). That was a behavior that I monitored heavily. If any of them could have been lured to an online meet by a predator, it would have been him, unfortunately.

My daughters have always been modest in dress and actions. Again, I think being raised with other activities helped in their case. Outdoor love for one and sports for the other. It always makes me happy when we get somewhere and they leave their phones in the vehicle. I stop, smile to myself, and think...'this is a special time'. But, having the benefit of a 'present' Mother who has always been quite open and honest about her past and the world we live in they are no fools. In today's world it should be no surprise that one's children (if permitted on social media) will eventually be tempted or perhaps the attempt will be made to lure them into either risky behaviors or situations. It has happened to my girls. I am proud that they have the intelligence and strength to shut that down cleverly and quickly.



P.S. I think I may have 'went off the rails' a bit there. Apologies!

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Sounds like you rescued some RAD disordered boys that were headed for trouble on a fast train.

VERY IMPRESSIVE.

May I ask how they are doing now as young adults?

Thanks for your meaty answer.

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: TNMockingbird
Sounds like you rescued some RAD disordered boys that were headed for trouble on a fast train.

Of course you may ask!
They were (Reactive Attachment Disorder) very disturbed when they came. Mother died (OD) father lost interest and drug addict himself. The State took them and he gave them up. Didn't even try. Can you imagine?

May I ask how they are doing now as young adults?
Thanks for your meaty answer.

They are 17, 16, and 14.
Due to some issues last year, it was decided that they wanted to be 'readopted' from me to another Aunt. In another county. A birth Aunt (I am related by marriage only). I let them go. Thinking I was doing the right thing. Two have gone on to begin getting into various amounts of trouble and generally unruly, rowdy behavior. My sister in law and I discussed structure, boundaries, manipulations before they went to begin visiting as a trial with her. I think that they waited and were clever in that until she was comfortable and then revealed themselves. Children from that sort of past can be extremely manipulative and quite good actors.

It has only been final for a few months and I am still adjusting to my new life (minus 3 children who I have loved since the minute they were born).

At the time I thought I was making the correct choice in allowing them to have their way with their hearts.
It was what they wanted. To desperately be with their biological family.
Time will reveal if they can be saved.

We, of course, are still in constant communication but my influence is fleeting.

Thanks again for asking and apologies as I do tend to ramble on!
It has been cathartic for me. It is not something I permit myself to discuss often.

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Am greatly humbled and blessed by your sharing and do NOT consider it 'rambling on.'

I can readily understand your allowing them the change they were 'demanding.'

I'm skeptical that the aunt they are with is well equipped to deal with them firmly enough.

Does she even have any training about RAD? Is there a man in the home? If so, what sort of man?

Those boys need a tough, tender hearted, healthily affectionate, admirable, high stature etc. male in their lives--desperately.

I just grieve for so many youth like that--physiologically brain damaged in the brain areas managing relationships and emotional expression . . . extremely immature, selfish, insecure, demanding, raging hormones etc. etc. etc. and mostly trained and conditioned early on in making poor choices. Sigh.

CONGRATS ON YOUR EFFORTS IN THEIR LIVES, IN ANY CASE. If they survive and come out on top of their RAD related problems, it will likely be 98% due to your efforts and consistencies in their lives.

There is a book . . . HOW TO RAISE THINKING KIDS . . . or some such title. You can pose to them various options . . . and get them to discuss their thoughts about the consequences of each option. It can help. Not an easy challenge, for sure.

a reply to: BO XIAN

Man in the home, yes. Not my 'cup of tea' per se but a good enough fellow. She's of basic education and skills. Very big heart though. A genuinely good person. Here we would say she's 'country as dirt'. That's not a bad thing it is just a saying.

I tried to give her all of the information and resources that I had available and I just don't believe that people completely understand (her) until they experience it themselves. My concern is that (my belief) the structure can't be unattended for too long or you must then go back and rebuild. One step forward, two steps back in other words.

The oldest was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 8. That has been another struggle for her. It is imperative to stay on top of him and he will allow himself to go unchecked if you don't. During football season I was a mainstay on the sidelines. With some young men, hormones and the adrenaline can cause a serious spike in blood sugars. Just the opposite of what one would expect with heavy physical activity. I had learned it through him though. So while everyone else was wanting to shove a candy bar down his throat i was at the ready with his injection.

The point of that is he has begun manipulating her through his illness.

I hope the best for them and they are always on my mind.

Family tells me to not feel guilty about my choices and the path that I allowed them to take. I was adopted as well so I understood the need for reconnecting with their birth family. I hope that they survive. I hope that they become good and strong men. I hope that something I did will contribute to that.

My family always told me 'you'll never get the wild out of those boys!'.

Maybe not but I believe I had a good start!

a reply to: TNMockingbird

I suspect that you were by far the best of the options they had.

They will long remember your inputs whether they act like it, or not.

I pray that sooner or later . . . they decide to buy-into more of your values and patterns of choices.

I don't know if the man or the aunt would profit from Drs Sibcy and Clinton's ATTACHMENTS . . . book or not. It's the best I know on the topic.

The boys could learn a lot from it if they'd bother to read it. LOL.

THANKS for the dialogue.

You have my enormous respect.

a reply to: BO XIAN

Interesting study, and not really surprising. Just shows that parents need to be more involved with their teens! As a parent with three now (yeah, three of them!), mine have literally NO interest in social media. None. They don't play games on FB, or care who likes what, and show no interest whatsoever in posting ever little detail of their lives for people to "like". They'd prefer to play games, and do other sorts of things.

All online activity is monitored, though. No computer.s in the bedrooms, and they know the rules on personal data online. I frankly can't imagine behaving as some parents do, and not even knowing what the kids are doing online. Far too many predators out there, and I have no tolerance for the bullying peer pressure types, either. How many kids will do somethng bad, just to gain some measure of popularity? A lot, from what we can see!

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Absolutely indeed.

How many parents do you know . . . REALLY wanted to be parents these days?

And how many of those REALLY shoulder such duties responsibly and with loving firmness as well as some humility and wisdom?

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Absolutely indeed.

How many parents do you know . . . REALLY wanted to be parents these days?

And how many of those REALLY shoulder such duties responsibly and with loving firmness as well as some humility and wisdom?

Some do, I am sure. How well they manage varies. Some, though, you have to wonder! When you see h ow some kids act, you just know that there are no parents involved.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Well put.

Then, in addition to kids having kids . . . we have RAD (Attachment Disordered) folks rearing more RAD kids because none of them have worked their issues through even a micro-gram's worth--and many have actually become worse as the months have rolled by.

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Well put.

Then, in addition to kids having kids . . . we have RAD (Attachment Disordered) folks rearing more RAD kids because none of them have worked their issues through even a micro-gram's worth--and many have actually become worse as the months have rolled by.

I read a theory once, years back, that such detachment might be a cause of psychopathy later on. Seems possible, all considered. Not for every case, of course, because NOTHING fits every case (save evil), but for many.

All considered, it's like someone plans for this to be the case; multiplying the problems, and making the world that much crazier. we know who, too.

a reply to: BO XIAN

when I was young we had to use a payphone no cell phone did not exist and the internet was dial up

a reply to: BO XIAN

I still don't understand everyone is addicted to smart phones and texting

Social media is a brainwashing tactic...