Plague of screen addiction
University College London
The findings, published in PLOS Mental Health,
reviewed 12 articles involving 237 young people aged 10-19 with a formal
diagnosis of internet addiction between 2013 and 2023.
Internet addiction has been defined as a person's
inability to resist the urge to use the internet, negatively impacting their
psychological wellbeing, as well as their social, academic and professional
lives.
The studies used functional magnetic resonance imaging
(fMRI) to inspect the functional connectivity (how regions of the brain
interact with each other) of participants with internet addiction, both while
resting and completing a task.
The effects of internet addiction were seen throughout
multiple neural networks in the brains of adolescents. There was a mixture of
increased and decreased activity in the parts of the brain that are activated
when resting (the default mode network).
Meanwhile, there was an overall decrease in the
functional connectivity in the parts of the brain involved in active thinking
(the executive control network).
These changes were found to lead to addictive behaviors
and tendencies in adolescents, as well as behavior changes associated with
intellectual ability, physical coordination, mental health and development.
Lead author, MSc student, Max Chang (UCL Great Ormond Street Institute for Child Health) said: "Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage during which people go through significant changes in their biology, cognition, and personalities.
As a result, the brain is particularly
vulnerable to internet addiction related urges during this time, such as
compulsive internet usage, cravings towards usage of the mouse or keyboard and
consuming media.
"The findings from our study show that this can lead
to potentially negative behavioral and developmental changes that could impact
the lives of adolescents. For example, they may struggle to maintain
relationships and social activities, lie about online activity and experience
irregular eating and disrupted sleep."
With smartphones and laptops being ever more accessible,
internet addiction is a growing problem across the globe. Previous research has
shown that people in the UK spend over 24 hours every week online and, of those
surveyed, more than half self-reported being addicted to the internet.
Meanwhile, Ofcom found that of the 50 million internet
users in the UK, over 60% said their internet usage had a negative effect on
their lives -- such as being late or neglecting chores.
Senior author, Irene Lee (UCL Great Ormond Street
Institute of Child Health), said: "There is no doubt that the internet has
certain advantages. However, when it begins to affect our day-to-day lives, it
is a problem.
"We would advise that young people enforce sensible
time limits for their daily internet usage and ensure that they are aware of
the psychological and social implications of spending too much time
online."
Mr Chang added: "We hope our findings will
demonstrate how internet addiction alters the connection between the brain
networks in adolescence, allowing physicians to screen and treat the onset of
internet addiction more effectively.
"Clinicians could potentially prescribe treatment to
aim at certain brain regions or suggest psychotherapy or family therapy
targeting key symptoms of internet addiction.
"Importantly, parental education on internet
addiction is another possible avenue of prevention from a public health
standpoint. Parents who are aware of the early signs and onset of internet
addiction will more effectively handle screen time, impulsivity, and minimize
the risk factors surrounding internet addiction."
Study limitations
Research into the use of fMRI scans to investigate internet addiction is currently limited and the studies had small adolescent samples. They were also primarily from Asian countries. Future research studies should compare results from Western samples to provide more insight on therapeutic intervention.
