Study Summaries | Winston Center

During the COVID-19 lockdown, adolescents felt more socially connected after online interactions with peers

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, teens felt more socially connected after interacting with peers online. Image credit: Kathy Bugajsky By Ria Sharma During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and school closures drastically limited adolescents’ in-person social interactions but did not curtail their ability to communicate through texting, calling, and social media. A Winston National Center study…

Overnight smartphone use can disrupt adolescent sleep

Checking smartphones when waking up overnight keeps teens awake longer. Image credit: Polina Kovaleva By Christian Scott Sleep is essential for healthy adolescent development. However, many adolescents struggle to get the high quality, adequate sleep that they need to thrive. The ever-increasing use of cell phones and other technology, particularly right before bedtime, is a…

Caring about appearance in selfies associated with higher depressive symptoms in teens

For many adolescents, taking selfies, or photographs of oneself, is an extremely common act. Often, these selfies are then posted on social media, where feedback can be received in the form of likes, comments, and other reactions from peers.

The brains of teens who frequently check social media become increasingly sensitive to the anticipation of social feedback

Social media platforms allow adolescents to have unprecedented opportunities for social interaction during a critical developmental period when their brains are especially sensitive to social feedback.