Wearable Brain Scanners Reveal Social Media’s Immediate Cognitive Toll on Students
A groundbreaking study using wearable brain scanners has documented how brief social media exposure immediately alters prefrontal cortex activation patterns in college students. Researchers found significant declines in executive function tasks following social media use, with neural changes suggesting increased cognitive effort and reduced inhibitory control. The findings provide the first real-time evidence of social media’s direct impact on brain function during naturalistic use.
Immediate Cognitive Changes Detected
Researchers using wearable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) systems have documented measurable changes in brain activity and executive function following brief social media exposure, according to a new study published in Scientific Reports. The research represents one of the first attempts to monitor brain activity in naturalistic settings while participants engaged with social media platforms.