There is no doubt that people are addicted to their phones. Social media is one of the reasons for this and apparently, it's molding the brains of our teenagers according to a study in Jama Pediatrics journal. Apparently, the constant checking of social media is affecting the brains of our teenagers, as there is rapid brain development between the ages of 12 and 15. Apparently, the apps are increasing their sensitivity to social rewards featured in the apps over time. The resulting hypersensitivity may lead to social anxiety parents are often seeing in their children today. Check out the article below Social Media Use Is Linked to Brain Changes in Teens, Research Finds Teens who frequently checked social media showed an increasing sensitivity to peer feedback, although the cause of the changes was not clear. By Ellen Barry Jan. 3, 2023 The effect of social media use on children is a fraught area of research, as parents and policymakers try to ascertain the results of a vast experiment already in full swing. Successive studies have added pieces to the puzzle, fleshing out the implications of a nearly constant stream of virtual interactions beginning in childhood. A new study by neuroscientists at the University of North Carolina tries something new, conducting successive brain scans of middle schoolers between the ages of 12 and 15, a period of especially rapid brain development. The researchers found that children who habitually checked their social media feeds at around age 12 showed a distinct trajectory, with their sensitivity to social rewards from peers heightening over time. Teenagers with less engagement in social media followed the opposite path, with a declining interest in social rewards. Read more