Unlocking the Mind: The Intersection of Psychology and Neuroscience

A recent study, to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting, discovered a clear correlation between social media use, sleep duration, and brain activation in various regions of The Mind that are essential for reward processing and executive control.

The study reveals a notable connection between increased social media use among youths and reduced sleep duration. Functional MRI scans identified the inferior and middle frontal gyri as crucial front limbic brain regions involved in these interactions. The inferior frontal gyrus, vital for inhibitory control, significantly regulates adolescents‘ responses to rewarding stimuli like social media.

The middle frontal gyrus, on the other hand, is vital for executive functions, including the evaluation and response to rewards. This suggests that this brain region heavily influences adolescents’ ability to balance immediate social media incentives with other priorities, like getting adequate sleep. The findings highlight how brain areas for reward processing and executive functions interact with digital media use and sleep patterns.

Overall, these results highlight the intricate relationship between brain function, behavior, and sleep in the digital age. Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing strategies to help adolescents manage their digital media use and maintain healthier sleep habits, ultimately supporting better cognitive and emotional outcomes.

Orsolya Kiss, a cognitive psychology doctorate holder and research scientist at SRI International in Menlo Park, California, said, “Our findings suggest that poor sleep and high social media engagement could potentially alter neural reward sensitivity as these young brains undergo significant changes.” “This interplay reveals that digital engagement and sleep quality significantly impact brain activity, influencing adolescent brain development.”

Examining The Mind: How Sleep and Social Media Influence Adolescent Brain Development

The study used data from 6,516 teenagers aged 10 to 14 from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Researchers measured sleep duration using the Munich Chronotype questionnaire and assessed recreational social media use with the Youth Screen Time Survey. They targeted brain areas related to reward processing and analyzed brain activity during the monetary incentive delay test using functional MRI scans. The study employed three distinct model sets, adjusting predictors and results each time. Researchers accounted for age, the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic, and sociodemographic factors while adjusting the results.

Kiss noted these findings offer fresh perspectives on The Mind, highlighting how social media use and sleep affect brain development.

Understanding these brain regions helps identify risks and benefits of digital engagement and sleep habits, Kiss stated.

This knowledge is crucial for developing precise, evidence-based interventions to promote healthier habits for The Mind.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises teenagers aged 13 to 18 to sleep 8 to 10 hours each night. The AASM advises teenagers to turn off all electronics 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime for better sleep.
The National Institutes of Health funded this study. Additionally, the study abstract will be presented at SLEEP 2024 in Houston on Sunday, June 2, and Wednesday, June 5. Furthermore, the journal Sleep recently published it in an online supplement. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society formed the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, which hosts SLEEP annually.