Version 1
: Received: 29 November 2023 / Approved: 30 November 2023 / Online: 30 November 2023 (10:32:12 CET)
How to cite:
Tu Li, D. X. What Should We Do about Teen Social Media Addiction? A Review of Social Media’s Impact on Development and Recommendation for Future Regulations. Preprints2023, 2023111934. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202311.1934.v1
Tu Li, D. X. What Should We Do about Teen Social Media Addiction? A Review of Social Media’s Impact on Development and Recommendation for Future Regulations. Preprints 2023, 2023111934. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202311.1934.v1
Tu Li, D. X. What Should We Do about Teen Social Media Addiction? A Review of Social Media’s Impact on Development and Recommendation for Future Regulations. Preprints2023, 2023111934. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202311.1934.v1
APA Style
Tu Li, D. X. (2023). What Should We Do about Teen Social Media Addiction? A Review of Social Media’s Impact on Development and Recommendation for Future Regulations. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202311.1934.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Tu Li, D. X. 2023 "What Should We Do about Teen Social Media Addiction? A Review of Social Media’s Impact on Development and Recommendation for Future Regulations" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202311.1934.v1
Abstract
In today's digital landscape, the use of smartphones is almost inevitable, and so is the pervasive use of social media (SM), a constantly evolving system that has become an integral part of the daily lives of adolescents. Over the past seven years, the usage of social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok has seen exponential growth among younger audiences. Excess SM use has raised concerns. This paper examines the possible negative consequences of the escalating trend in social media usage, and the implications of social media addiction (SMA), especially platforms featuring short-form video content, among teenagers. The paper also addresses the debate surrounding the validity of the term "addiction" concerning social media overuse and highlights the neurobiological processes associated with addiction, including the activation of dopamine-related brain structures. Furthermore, it discusses the researched structural and functional changes to the adolescent brain, including drawing parallels with substance addictions based on neuroimaging studies. Finally, this review advocates for exploring avenues of regulation to ensure a safer digital future, emphasizing the importance of policy to mitigate unforeseen long-term consequences of SMA and provides recommendations for reasonable and efficient future policy directions, guided by scientific and health concerns rather than political motives.
Keywords
Social-Media; Teen; Addiction; Regulations
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Neuroscience and Neurology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
