Impact of digital social interactions on the adolescent brain and well-being

Context of the research Adolescence is a critical period of social, psychological, and physiological changes, but also a crucial -me of vulnerability to mental health issues. As mental health problems have drastically increased in adolescents over the past decade, concerns have risen regarding the impact of

social media (SM) on adolescents' brains and well-being. Indeed, adolescents are known to be among the first and most ardent users of SM, and SM use has been linked to brain function modifications in adolescents, for example in the domain of reward processing. However, few studies have assessed the effects of aversive SM interac2ons on the brain. Furthermore,

because there is high heterogeneity in the adolescent population, studying the interindividual factors moderating the relationship between SM use and well-being is important. Aims and objectives of the project This project aims to take a multidisciplinary approach to study 1) the neural effects of SM

interactions on the adolescent brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and 2) how interindividual differences moderate the relationship between SM use and well-being using large-scale data analysis. More precisely, we plan to investigate the following questions: - Q1. How does positive and negative SM feedback impact brain signals underlying

reward processing, threat processing, and cognitive control in adolescents? - Q2. Do individual differences in social connectedness (i.e., frequency of social interactions, social support, and quality of social relationships) moderate the relationship between SM use and mental health in adolescents?

The project will be primarily based within the School of Psychology at Cardiff University under the supervision of Dr. Tomova (primary supervisor) and Dr Paine (secondary supervisor). In addition, collaborators Dr. Anthony (Cardiff University, School of Social Sciences) and Dr. Orben (University of Cambridge) will support this project.

Potential applications and benefits of the project. With the rise of technology use, there is a growing concern about the effects of SM use on social development and well-being in adolescents. This work aims to take a multidisciplinary approach to studying the impact of SM use on cognition, brain functioning, and well-being.

This project will have the potential to provide important novel understanding of 1) the impact of digital social interactions on brain functioning, and 2) the interindividual factors mediating vulnerability to social media use. Eventually, we hope that these insights will help inform the ongoing discussions about age-related social media limitations. Additionally, we aim to

disseminate these findings to the wider public, especially adolescents, through school talks.