While social media and screen time are often singled out as major causal factors in the ongoing adolescent mental health crisis, research performed to date does not offer a clear or even consistent picture of the relationships. Comprehensively indexing the environments of children and adolescents, alongside patterns of technology use, will shed light on observed changes in development, both behaviorally and neurally.
A substantial body of research has long demonstrated that sleep is essential for physical and mental health. Recently, digital technology has emerged as one of the leading hypothesized causes of poor sleep, in terms of duration and quality. Our study will extend the robust body of work on how development and mental health are impacted by technology use by investigating the differential impact on sleep.
There has long been an acknowledgment that social interactions are critical for mental and physical health, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and overall well-being. In the digital era, however, the nature of human interaction has evolved, and this has sparked scientific interest in understanding the implications of change. Online interaction, driven by technological advancements, has undoubtedly changed the way we connect, often replacing traditional face-to-face communication. However, there's a trend towards increased feelings of loneliness. Despite devices intended to enhance our sociability, the irony is that many individuals are so absorbed in them that they end up more alone. This study aims to delve into how technology has impacted social interaction, and how Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) offers a unique lens to study this phenomenon.
