This recent UCLA study about what happens in a teens’ brain when they get a “like” on their photo is very interesting. The researchers looked at brain scans of teenagers while they were looking at “neutral” photos, such as friends having innocent fun, and “risky” photos, that included photos of teens drinking alcohol and wearing sexy clothes.
When teens saw photos with more likes, they were significantly more inclined to like the photo, as well. Does this mean that are kids are spending less time in life trying to form their own opinions? Kids have always been impacted by their peers, but as Lauren Sherman, one of the researchers, noted:
“In the past, teens made their own judgments about how everyone around them was responding, When it comes to likes, there’s no ambiguity.”
In this same study they found that when teenagers looked at risky photos compared with neutral photos, they had less activity in areas associated with “cognitive control.” When the teenagers saw pictures that showed risky behavior, it decreased activity in the regions of their brain that are responsible for putting on the brakes. The real life implications of this have not been fleshed out in studies, but clearly it is important to discuss with our kids.
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Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
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This recent UCLA study about what happens in a teens’ brain when they get a “like” on their photo is very interesting. The researchers looked at brain scans of teenagers while they were looking at “neutral” photos, such as friends having innocent fun, and “risky” photos, that included photos of teens drinking alcohol and wearing sexy clothes.
When teens saw photos with more likes, they were significantly more inclined to like the photo, as well. Does this mean that are kids are spending less time in life trying to form their own opinions? Kids have always been impacted by their peers, but as Lauren Sherman, one of the researchers, noted:
“In the past, teens made their own judgments about how everyone around them was responding, When it comes to likes, there’s no ambiguity.”
In this same study they found that when teenagers looked at risky photos compared with neutral photos, they had less activity in areas associated with “cognitive control.” When the teenagers saw pictures that showed risky behavior, it decreased activity in the regions of their brain that are responsible for putting on the brakes. The real life implications of this have not been fleshed out in studies, but clearly it is important to discuss with our kids.
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This recent UCLA study about what happens in a teens’ brain when they get a “like” on their photo is very interesting. The researchers looked at brain scans of teenagers while they were looking at “neutral” photos, such as friends having innocent fun, and “risky” photos, that included photos of teens drinking alcohol and wearing sexy clothes.
When teens saw photos with more likes, they were significantly more inclined to like the photo, as well. Does this mean that are kids are spending less time in life trying to form their own opinions? Kids have always been impacted by their peers, but as Lauren Sherman, one of the researchers, noted:
“In the past, teens made their own judgments about how everyone around them was responding, When it comes to likes, there’s no ambiguity.”
In this same study they found that when teenagers looked at risky photos compared with neutral photos, they had less activity in areas associated with “cognitive control.” When the teenagers saw pictures that showed risky behavior, it decreased activity in the regions of their brain that are responsible for putting on the brakes. The real life implications of this have not been fleshed out in studies, but clearly it is important to discuss with our kids.
A Los Angeles jury has found Meta and YouTube liable for designing platforms that addicted a child and harmed her mental health, the first verdict of its kind. The case shifted the legal debate away from free speech and Section 230 protections toward platform design and its impact on young users. This is being called social media's "Big Tobacco moment," and it is one worth explaining to the kids in your life.
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Jared Cooney Horvath argues that the common defense of classroom technology — “there’s no definitive evidence of harm” — sets an unrealistic standard. Because ed tech evolves rapidly, product-specific causal trials are often impossible and ethically problematic. Instead, he points to converging evidence. In Utah, long-rising achievement scores reversed after digital tools became central in 2014, a pattern echoed in broader national and international data, raising concerns about large-scale tech adoption without clear evidence of benefit.
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Instagram’s new Teen Accounts are being promoted as safer for kids, but recent nationally representative data tells a more complicated story. This post invites families to take a research-based quiz together and have a calm, curiosity-driven conversation about what teens are actually experiencing on the platform — and what that means for trust, safety, and screen time.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
