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.
For Tech Talk Tuesday this week let’s talk about how "likes" (and peers in general) influence our opinions and behaviors:
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
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.
For Tech Talk Tuesday this week let’s talk about how "likes" (and peers in general) influence our opinions and behaviors:
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
Many young people are overwhelmed by constant social media use, which can displace important activities like sleep, schoolwork, and friendships. Over 200 school districts are suing platforms like Meta for harms related to social media addiction. The blog covers what problematic social media use is from a clinical perspective and how our kids can talk with a friend (or family member) if they are worried their friend might have some level of problematic use.
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A week ago, Instagram announced changes to its rules for “Teen Accounts.” All new teen users will be defaulted into these accounts, and current teen users will transition over the next two months. Instagram’s head of Products, discussed these changes, and one comment surprised me. She mentioned that teens aged 13 to 16 will need parental permission to have a public account, hoping this would encourage dialogue between teens and parents about social media use. However, I feel this still puts too much responsibility on parents when we need broader societal solutions. I discuss this and the rest of the changes in today's blog.
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We have created a table that compares the 4 most common social media platforms and the specific ways they are similar and different. Spoiler alert, they are way more similar than different. It makes perfect sense since companies see what young people use on other apps and incorporate such features into their own apps.
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.
