How sleep and social media shape adolescent brain function

Summary: A new study links shorter sleep duration in adolescents to increased social media use, implicating brain regions crucial for executive control and reward processing.

The inferior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus play key roles in how adolescents regulate their social media engagement and manage sleep-related decisions. These results highlight the significant impact of digital engagement on adolescent brain activity and brain development.

Highlights:

1. Correlation: Shorter sleep duration in adolescents is correlated with greater social media use.
2. Brain regions: Key brain regions involved include the inferior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus, which are essential for inhibitory control and executive functions.
3. Implications: High social media engagement and poor sleep quality may significantly influence neural reward sensitivity and brain development in adolescents.

Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine

A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting found a distinct relationship between sleep duration, social media use, and brain activation in brain regions critical for executive control and reward processing.

The results show a correlation between shorter sleep duration and greater social media use among adolescents. The analysis indicates the involvement of areas located in the frontal regions of the brain, such as the inferior and middle frontal gyri, in these relationships.

The inferior frontal gyrus, key to inhibitory control, may play a crucial role in how adolescents regulate their engagement with rewarding stimuli such as social media.

The middle frontal gyrus, involved in executive functions and essential in evaluating and responding to rewards, is essential in managing decisions related to balancing immediate rewards from social media and other priorities like sleep.

These findings suggest a nuanced interaction between specific brain regions during adolescence and their influence on behavior and sleep in the context of digital media use.

“As these young brains undergo significant changes, our results suggest that poor sleep and high social media engagement could potentially impair neural reward sensitivity,” said Orsolya Kiss, a psychology Ph.D. cognitive and research scientist at SRI International in Menlo Park. , California.

“This complex interaction shows that digital engagement and sleep quality significantly influence brain activity, with clear implications for adolescent brain development. »

This study included data from 6,516 adolescents aged 10 to 14 from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Sleep duration was assessed using the Munich Chronotype questionnaire and recreational use of social media via the Youth Screen Time Survey. Brain activities were analyzed from functional MRI scans during the monetary incentive delay task, targeting regions associated with reward processing.

The study used three different sets of models and changed the predictors and outcomes each time. Results were adjusted for age, timing of the COVID-19 pandemic, and sociodemographic characteristics.

Kiss noted that these findings provide new insights into how two important aspects of modern adolescent life – social media use and sleep duration – interact and influence brain development.

“Understanding the specific brain regions involved in these interactions helps us identify potential risks and benefits associated with digital engagement and sleep patterns,” Kiss said. “This knowledge is particularly important because it could guide the development of more precise, evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting healthier habits.” »

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that adolescents ages 13 to 18 get 8 to 10 hours of sleep regularly. The AASM also encourages teens to disconnect from all electronic devices at least 30 minutes to an hour before bed.

Funding: This study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.

About this news on sleep research, social media and neurodevelopment

Author: Thomas Heffron
Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Contact: Thomas Heffron – American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Picture: Image is credited to Neuroscience News

Original research: Results will be presented at SLEEP 2024