Claire Tsai L&S Biological Sciences
Longitudinal Associations Between Social Media and Cortical Morphology
Youth now have unprecedented access to technology, with studies finding that early adolescents spend, on average, 5 hours daily on social media. Adolescence is a critical time for neurodevelopment, usually characterized by changes in cortical thickness, surface area, and volume, that influence cognitive control and social cognition. Given the recent rise in social media use, the longitudinal effects on brain development and cognition in adolescents from social media usage are still largely unknown. My research aims to characterize the extent of longitudinal brain cortical morphology changes associated with social media usage in adolescents. By leveraging consistent repeated Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data and social media-use measures from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, my project expands on current literature to clarify how social media use may affect neurodevelopmental trajectories. This work will allow us to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of social media and can inform future healthy usage behaviors and targets for future prevention efforts.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for your supporting my research this summer! Your contribution allowed gave me the opportunity to learn new aspects of research and develop a meaningful project to investigate the effect of the current rise in social media usage that I would not have otherwise have had the means to complete. I’m so excited to deepen my understanding of the intersection between neuroscience and public health, and I truly appreciate your support in making this possible.