Thursday 28th November 2024, 17:30–17:35 (Australia/Melbourne), Drawing Room
Excessive Social Media Usage and its consequences have become a pressing global debate with developing technology and mental health issues. The current study utilized data (n=11,878) from Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development to trace the associations between ESMU and the developing brain. Using the Powerly Package on R, the Longitudinal Network Analysis approach was used to measure the relationship between the developing Anterior Cingulate Cortex and the ESMU. For this, Diffusion Tensor Imaging (Fractional Anisotropy), T2 weighted Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Inner Shell) and Social Media Addiction Scale were used respectively across two time points. The findings reveal associations between ESMU and microstructural and volumetric changes in the developing brain. At T2, changes in the right and left hemisphere middle anterior cingulate gyrus and sulci were observed; these areas are responsible for goal-directed behavior, attention regulation, emotions, inhibitory control, error monitoring, and motivation. Similarly, at T4, changes in the right and left posterior dorsal cingulate gyrus were observed to be involved in the encoding and retrieval of episodic memories (not semantic) and the retrieval of autobiographical memories, as well as imagining the future. The findings call for longer follow-ups on the impact of social media on brain development.
Kanwal Shahbaz, a member of the American Psychological Association, and an academician, is a dedicated PhD candidate at the School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia. Kanwal is at the forefront of uncovering how screen time affects the developing adolescent brain. Through advance cutting-edge brain imaging techniques like 3D T1- and T2-weighted Structural MRI, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, and a variety of Functional MRI tasks, including Resting State, Monetary Incentive Delay, Stop Signal, and Emotional N-Back, she delves into the intricate brain-behavior dynamics.
By leveraging the ABCD data, Kanwal is currently mapping how screen exposure relates to the functional organization of brain and its association with the error monitoring, impulsivity, cost-benefit analysis, and inhibitory control. Looking to the future, Kanwal aims to create a comprehensive brain template to decode the complex relationship between neurobiology and behavior, using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Algorithms.