However, the group that practiced on the piano and the group that imagined they were practicing were almost on par with the other in the changes seen in the brain structure (Greenfield). Though none of the volunteers had reported any changes in their behaviors or personalities, the researchers had concluded that higher thought and brain structure are undoubtedly linked. With technology, specifically video games, many adults worry that the violence or negative social behaviors, such as drinking and drug use, shown in that media could influence a teenager. Some researchers speculate that the connections the brain makes when a teen plays those kinds of games could make a slow change in their behavior.
When it comes to the amount of time an adolescent spends on any form of social media, it will come with some kind of effect or consequence such as addiction or depression. According to a study by Kaiser Family done in 2010, today's teens spend more than 71/2 hours a day submerged in media (Ahuja). This technology has literally become a part of adolescent daily life and many most likely would not know what to do if it was suddenly no longer available to them. These people are spending so much of their time typing and texting away that they may not realize how addicted they've become to this life of technology. There are a set criteria of symptoms for internet addiction: obsessive thoughts about the internet, tolerance, diminished impulse control, inability to cease using the internet, and withdrawal (Davis). Unfortunately, these symptoms can impact an individual's life in a negative way. It could risk a teen's relationship with another person or people, it can affect their education (i.e., lower grades) or career opportunities because they're so involved in the internet.
In some cases, teens who have met this criteria of internet addiction either escape to the internet because of depression or are depressed because of all the long hours they've spent on the internet--this is still something psychologists and researchers are studying.
