Do Smart Phones Rewire Your Brain? New Study Thinks so.

Now, a small new study suggests that for teens, being hooked on the internet and smartphones may harm brain chemistry, as well.

The research was presented yesterday (Nov. 30) at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting in Chicago.The paper, which was presented by lead study author Dr. Hyung Suk Seo, a professor of neuroradiology at Korea University in Seoul, South Korea, found an imbalance of chemicals in the brain of "internet-addicted" teenagers. This imbalance was similar to that seen in people experiencing anxiety and depression.

In the study, researchers examined the brains of 19 internet- and smartphone-addicted teenagers and 19 nonaddicted teenagers using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a form of MRI that can reveal changes in the chemical composition of the brain. (Internet and smartphone addiction were measured using standardized questionnaires.)

Compared with the control group, the teens with internet and smartphone addiction showed a clear overabundance of a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in one region of the limbic system, the brain's emotional control center. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, meaning that it blocks nerve cells from firing.

The problem with smart phones and social media sites is that they can be very addicting for young teenagers because it's like their main way to interact socially with people. Have something on your mind, tweet it and get instant feedback or texted a friend and get an instant response back. If you have to wait more than 10 minutes for response you get annoyed and frustrated that your friend isn't glued to their phone or they are ignoring you.

All this instant response and gratification can really screw up people's minds especially young people that never go anywhere without their connection to "society" aka their smart phone. Kids today need to learn the importants of taking your time with something or stewing an idea in your head before you share it with the entire world. I always sleep on important decisions in life, work, parenting, etc. It helps me to feel calm and confident the next day when I need to make a decision and you just don't learn that from using smart phones.

Smart phones are great handy little tools to have around you, don't get me wrong but just like any other tool if you don't know how to to properly use it you risk getting seriously hurt or in this case addicted and having a chemical imbalance in your brain.

https://www.livescience.com/61075-internet-smartphone-addiction-chemical-imbalance-brain.html