what do we know about the effects of internet use and networked culture on the adolescent brain?

What do we know about the effects of Internet use and networked culture onthe adolescent brain?

Kate MillsInstitute of Cognitive Neurosciencekathryn.l.mills@gmail.com

What do we know about the effects of Internet use and networked culture onthe adolescent brain?

…not much!

What do we know about the effects of Internet use and networked culture onthe adolescent brain?

• It is undergoing substantial development

• How we navigate social interactions changes

• It is sensitive to environmental influences

The adolescent brain is undergoing substantial development

Structural MRI

Functional MRI

Grey matter contains brain cells and connections

…in its physical structure, organisation and function.

The adolescent brain is undergoing substantial development

Structural MRI

White matter is made up of long fibres that carry signals between brain regions

Grey matter contains brain cells and connections

…in its physical structure, organisation and function.

The adolescent brain is undergoing substantial development

White matter is made up of long fibres that carry signals between brain regions

age (years)

volu

me

Grey matter

Grey matter contains brain cells and connections

…in its physical structure, organisation and function.

The adolescent brain is undergoing substantial development

age (years)

volu

me

age (years)

volu

me

Grey matter White matter

White matter is made up of long fibres that carry signals between brain regions

…in its physical structure, organisation and function.

The adolescent brain is undergoing substantial development

…in its physical structure, organisation and function.

The adolescent brain is undergoing substantial development

How we navigate social interactions changes during adolescence

How we navigate social interactions changes during adolescence

How we navigate social interactions changes during adolescence

Functional MRI

How we navigate social interactions changes during adolescence

The Social BraindmPFC

TPJ

ATC

pSTS

How we navigate social interactions changes during adolescence

Understanding intentions

Social emotion

Irony comprehension

Self/Other personality traits

Self appraisals

Emotional theory of mind

Reciprocity

The adolescent brain is sensitive to environmental influences

The adolescent brain is sensitive to environmental influences

• Experience influences what connections are kept and strengthened.

• Trade-off in adolescence: losing unused connections for increased efficiency.

What do we know about the effects of Internet use and networked culture onthe adolescent brain?

What do we know about the effects of Internet use and networked culture onthe adolescent brain?

Internet use

How do we measure internet use?

Is internet use...

Time spent looking at screens?

How do we measure internet use?

Is internet use...

Time spent physically immobile?

How do we measure internet use?

Is internet use...

Shallow browsing?

How do we measure internet use?

Is internet use...

Tool use?

Effective tool use?

“When people expect to have future access to information, they have lower rates of recall of the information itself and enhanced recall instead for where to access it.” (Sparrow et al., 2011)

Networked culture

Tool use and adolescence

Successful adulthood

Tool use and adolescence

Thank you!Sarah-Jayne Blakemore

Anne-Lise GoddingsMaarten Speekenbrink

Iroise DumontheilLaura Wolf

Jay GieddLiv Clasen

UCL Developmental CognitiveNeuroscience Group

These slides are available on slideshare!

go here:http://tinyurl.com/89plusKate

or email me:kathryn.l.mills@gmail.com

Of particular interest:

Choudhury & McKinney, 2013: Digital media, the developing brain and the interpretive plasticity of neuroplasticity. Transcultural Psychiatry

Choudhury et al., 2012: Rebelling against the brain: Public engagement with the ‘neurological adolescent’. Social Science & Medicine

Blakemore & Mills, 2013: Is Adolescence a Sensitive Period for Sociocultural Processing? Annual Review of Psychology

Brainstorm, a scratch play about the teenage brain written and performed by teenagers. Islington Community Theatre.

Also, check out Vaughan Bell’s blog: mindhacks.com

Sources

Aubert-Broche et al., (2013). NeuroImage. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.065 (Slides 7-8)

Tamnes, et al., (2013). NeuroImage. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.11.039 (Slide 9)

Blakemore & Mills (in press). The Cognitive Neurosciences Fifth Edition. (Slide 14)

Blakemore, S-J (2012). Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. doi:10.1258/jrsm.2011.110221 (Slide 15)

Mills, KL (2013). figshare. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.706363 (Slide 15)

Petanjek et al., (2011). PNAS. doi:10.1073/pnas.1105108108 (Slides 16-17)

Sparrow et al., (2011). Science. doi:10.1126/science.1207745 (Slide 25)