Controversial Study Claims 'Smartphone Addiction' Alters the Brain (inverse.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Inverse: In the new paper, presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, a team of radiologists at Korea University report that smartphone addiction changes teenagers' brains. Using brain imaging, they argue that smartphone- and internet-addicted teenagers have imbalanced brain chemistry when compared to their peers who aren't addicted to smartphones or the internet. But scientists not involved with the study have some serious issues with their research. Perhaps the most important of these issues is the fact that "smartphone addiction" is not a scientifically established thing -- at least not yet.

In the study, the team led by Dr. Hyung Suk Seo used "standardized internet and smartphone addiction tests to measure the severity of internet addiction" in nine boys and 10 girls, according to a statement. Then, they used MRS, a brain imaging technique that can identify particular brain chemicals, to examine the participants' brains before and after taking nine weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy to help their "addiction." Compared to a control group, the "smartphone addicts" had skewed levels of neurotransmitters in their brains. In particular, they had a higher ratio of GABA to Glx (glutamateglutamine), which are respectively responsible for slowing down brain signals and exciting neurons. An elevated ratio of GABA to Glx, the researchers concluded, can be associated with the self-reported symptoms of the "smartphone addict" teens, including depression, anxiety, insomnia severity and impulsivity. After 12 of the teens participated in cognitive behavior therapy, the scientists report, their chemical imbalances appeared to even out to look more like the control group's.

Comments

Addictions all begin in once place.

[Anonymous Coward]

The reward addiction craving is the affecting condition, there's nothing inherently different about cell phone addiction than gambling or cocaine as far as your dopamine reward.

Not unlike anything computer related.

[wolfheart111]

sitting in front of the screen is hypnotic. Some play sit on their smartphone, some play facebook games... others (like myself) sit and code for days on end...

Re:Not unlike anything computer related.

[Gravis Zero]

sitting in front of the screen is hypnotic.

Actually, that's not what this is about. Smartphone addiction is a real thing not because of the amount of uninterrupted time but because of the compulsion and ability to interrupt other activities to satisfy their desire.

Some play sit on their smartphone, some play facebook games... others (like myself) sit and code for days on end...

The difference here is that an avid coder could go on vacation for a week without coding. A smartphone addict on vacation without their smartphone for a week is going to have actual withdraw symptoms.

The real difference here is that the smartphone is a device that can provide constant feedback and it's engineered purposely to behave like that. A lot of neuroscience has gone into the design of application to ensure that they develop what cannot be described as anything except an addiction. They did this with websites (like facebook) too but it wasn't nearly as successful until they had a LOT of people that always had immediate access to their platform. That immediate access is essential to forming the addiction.

Coming soon to a theater near you

[boudie2]

"I Was A Teenage Smartphone Addict". They turned a generation into drooling smartphone junkies willing to do anything except work for their next fix.

This is my complete lack of surprise

[Baron_Yam]

Your brain is 'plastic' - it alters in response to use. It strengthens and prunes connections over time. Bits of it can atrophy.

So yes, if you habitually perform some task, it's going to show up as a change in sufficiently accurate before and after fMRIs. This isn't news, it's been studied before.

"Controversial" study?

[hcs_$reboot]

Even when "controversial" is not mentioned, most of these studies are controversial. What about reading, does reading addiction alter the brain? Yes, but not in the same way.

Re:"Controversial" study?

[Hal_Porter]

Well that's the thing isn't it? If you look around you on the subway everyone is gazing at that their phones. Some are playing games, some are reading, some are chatting to their buddies, some are browsing the 'Net.

I'd say some of these - reading and chatting - are more worthwhile than others. And what if they're playing a game I approve of like Monument Valley or spurring an impassioned debate on slashdot by acting as a troll, advocatus diaboli or social gadfly? Is that worthwhile?

Saying "everyone around me is a dumb smartphone zombie" feels good, but how do you know they're not using their phones for something worthwhile.

Korea university

[Bert64]

Kim Jong Un is heroically helping his people avoid addiction by banning the use of mobile phones.

Re:Squirrel !!!

[Misagon]

Unfortunately, distracted drivers tend to remove innocent passengers and pedestrians from the gene pool as well.