The DOI matches its Crossref record; 136 of the 136 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The “online brain”: how the Internet may be changing our cognition
Open accessAbstract
The impact of the Internet across multiple aspects of modern society is clear. However, the influence that it may have on our brain structure and functioning remains a central topic of investigation. Here we draw on recent psychological, psychiatric and neuroimaging findings to examine several key hypotheses on how the Internet may be changing our cognition. Specifically, we explore how unique features of the online world may be influencing: a) attentional capacities, as the constantly evolving stream of online information encourages our divided attention across multiple media sources, at the expense of sustained concentration; b) memory processes, as this vast and ubiquitous source of online information begins to shift the way we retrieve, store, and even value knowledge; and c) social cognition, as the ability for online social settings to resemble and evoke real‐world social processes creates a new interplay between the Internet and our social lives, including our self‐concepts and self‐esteem. Overall, the available evidence indicates that the Internet can produce both acute and sustained alterations in each of these areas of cognition, which may be reflected in changes in the brain. However, an emerging priority for future research is to determine the effects of extensive online media usage on cognitive development in youth, and examine how this may differ from cognitive outcomes and brain impact of uses of Internet in the elderly. We conclude by proposing how Internet research could be integrated into broader research settings to study how this unprecedented new facet of society can affect our cognition and the brain across the life course.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Moreover, students who exceed 2 hours of daily screen time on social media tend to exhibit poorer performance on cognitive assessments in comparison to those with restricted screen time (Firth, Torous, Stubbs, Steiner, Smith,2019).”
From SCROLLING AND SUSTAINED ATTENTION: HOW SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE SUSTAINED ATTENTION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (2024) · cites this paper as Firth, Torous, Stubbs, Steiner, Smith,2019
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Our findings are consistent with previous research indicating that excessive reliance on AI tools can negatively impact critical thinking skills.”
From AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking (2025) · cites this paper as Firth et al. [24]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Children who used digital tools for more than 2 h per day had lower scores on cognitive tests than those who used them less (Firth et al., 2019).”
From The impact of digital technology, social media, and artificial intelligence on cognitive functions: a review (2023) · cites this paper as Firth et al., 2019
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Paradoxically, social media use is linked to social isolation (ie, a lack of social connections and quality relationships with others),21 which is associated with poor health outcomes and increased mortality.1”
From Brain health consequences of digital technology use (2020) · cites this paper as [1]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“We have indeed transitioned now from the information age to the age of interruption (Firth et al., 2019).”
From The impact of digital technology, social media, and artificial intelligence on cognitive functions: a review (2023) · cites this paper as Firth et al., 2019
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“On the other hand, they highlight that the Internet is an unprecedented form of extended memory.”
From The Cognitive Architecture of Digital Externalization (2023) · cites this paper as Firth et al. (2019)
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“On the one hand, they summarize how the Internet is a major drain on attention in everyday life.”
From The Cognitive Architecture of Digital Externalization (2023) · cites this paper as Firth et al. (2019)
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“constant Internet usage may be affecting our cognitive and social processes, along with mental health and brain functioning 124 .”
From A meta-review of "lifestyle psychiatry": the role of exercise, smoking, diet and sleep in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders (2020) · cites this paper as [124]
In the citing paper
“engagement through the MyCHOIS–CommonGround website was associated with a higher level of ongoing engagement in out-patient mental health service compared to that of the control group”
From The role of shared decision-making in improving adherence to pharmacological treatments in patients with schizophrenia: A clinical review (2020) · cites this paper as [47]
In the citing paper
“although no significant differences were found in the adherence rate with antipsychotic medication”
From The role of shared decision-making in improving adherence to pharmacological treatments in patients with schizophrenia: A clinical review (2020) · cites this paper as [47]
In the citing paper
“Another noticeable advantage was the cost-effectiveness of the intervention which makes it particularly suitable for attaining long-term outcomes in patients with severe mental disorders [46–50]”
From The role of shared decision-making in improving adherence to pharmacological treatments in patients with schizophrenia: A clinical review (2020) · cites this paper as [47]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1
Prensky, M. (2001) · On the Horizon · doi:10.1108/10748120110424816 · Cited by 11,104
Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316 · Cited by 7,272
Social Relationships and Health
House, J. S., Landis, K. R., & Umberson, D. (1988) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.3399889 · Cited by 7,073
Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election
Allcott, H., & Gentzkow, M. (2017) · Journal of Economic Perspectives · doi:10.1257/jep.31.2.211 · Cited by 6,767
Baltes, P. B., & Baltes, M. M. (1990) · Successful Aging · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511665684.003 · Cited by 3,739
Separate neural systems value immediate and delayed monetary rewards
McClure, S. M., Laibson, D. I., Loewenstein, G., & Cohen, J. D. (2004) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1100907 · Cited by 3,089
Transactive Memory: A Contemporary Analysis of the Group Mind
Wegner, D. M. (1987) · Theories of Group Behavior · doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-4634-3_9 · Cited by 2,700
Changes in grey matter induced by training
Draganski, B., Gaser, C., Busch, V., Schuierer, G., Bogdahn, U., & May, A. (2004) · Nature · doi:10.1038/427311a · Cited by 2,373
Coevolution of neocortical size, group size and language in humans
Dunbar, R. (1993) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x00032325 · Cited by 2,370
Fowler, J. H., & Christakis, N. A. (2008) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.a2338 · Cited by 1,990
Cognitive control in media multitaskers
Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. D. (2009) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0903620106 · Cited by 1,810
Google Effects on Memory: Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips
Sparrow, B., Liu, J., & Wegner, D. M. (2011) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1207745 · Cited by 1,762 · cited 15×
“However, with fewer than 30 years since the Internet became publicly available, the longterm effects have yet to be estab lished.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialDifferential Effects of Early Hippocampal Pathology on Episodic and Semantic Memory
Vargha-Khadem, F., Gadian, D. G., Watkins, K. E., Connelly, A., Van Paesschen, W., & Mishkin, M. (1997) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.277.5324.376 · Cited by 1,746
Twenge, J. M., Joiner, T. E., Rogers, M. L., & Martin, G. N. (2018) · Clinical Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/2167702617723376 · Cited by 1,705
Video game training enhances cognitive control in older adults
Anguera, J. A., Boccanfuso, J., Rintoul, J. L., Al-Hashimi, O., Faraji, F., Janowich, J., Kong, E., Larraburo, Y., Rolle, C., Johnston, E., et al. (2013) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature12486 · Cited by 1,666
Smith, K. P., & Christakis, N. A. (2008) · Annual Review of Sociology · doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.34.040507.134601 · Cited by 1,638
Training induces changes in white-matter architecture
Scholz, J., Klein, M. C., Behrens, T. E. J., & Johansen-Berg, H. (2009) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn.2412 · Cited by 1,508
Bargh, J. A., & McKenna, K. Y. A. (2004) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141922 · Cited by 1,406
Mapping brain maturation and cognitive development during adolescence
Paus, T. (2005) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2004.12.008 · Cited by 1,348
Do social network sites enhance or undermine subjective well-being? A critical review
Verduyn, P., Ybarra, O., Résibois, M., Jonides, J., & Kross, E. (2017) · Social Issues and Policy Review · doi:10.1111/sipr.12033 · Cited by 1,209 · cited 1×
“…supernormal capacities for cognitive 34 and that higher frequency of Internet use over 3 years in chil dren is linked with decreased verbal intelligence at follow up, along with impeded maturation of both grey and white matter regions 135 On the other hand, the opposite may be true in older…”
BackgroundHabits make smartphone use more pervasive.
Oulasvirta, A., Rattenbury, T., Ma, L., & Raita, E. (2012) · Personal and Ubiquitous Computing · doi:10.1007/s00779-011-0412-2 · Cited by 1,190
For better or worse: The impact of upward social comparison on self-evaluations
Collins, R. L. (1996) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.119.1.51 · Cited by 1,166
Lin, L. Y., Sidani, J. E., Shensa, A., Radovic, A., Miller, E., Colditz, J. B., Hoffman, B. L., Giles, L. M., & Primack, B. A. (2016) · Depression and Anxiety · doi:10.1002/da.22466 · Cited by 1,111
Hill, R. A., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2003) · Human Nature · doi:10.1007/s12110-003-1016-y · Cited by 1,045
Tastes, ties, and time: a new social network dataset using Facebook.com
Lewis, K., Kaufman, J., Gonzalez, M., Wimmer, A., & Christakis, N. (2008) · Social Networks · doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2008.07.002 · Cited by 1,024
Use it or lose it: Engaged lifestyle as a buffer of cognitive decline in aging?
Hultsch, D. F., Hertzog, C. K., Small, B. J., & Dixon, R. A. (1999) · Psychology and Aging · doi:10.1037//0882-7974.14.2.245 · Cited by 1,023
Use it or lose it: Engaged lifestyle as a buffer of cognitive decline in aging?
Hultsch, D. F., Hertzog, C., Small, B. J., & Dixon, R. A. (1999) · Psychology and Aging · doi:10.1037/0882-7974.14.2.245 · Cited by 1,023
Group Versus Individual Training and Group Performance: The Mediating Role of Transactive Memory
Liang, D. W., Moreland, R. L., & Argote, L. (1995) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167295214009 · Cited by 1,015
Inspired by Distraction: Mind Wandering Facilitates Creative Incubation
Baird, B., Smallwood, J., Mrazek, M. D., Kam, J. W. Y., Franklin, M. S., & Schooler, J. W. (2012) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797612446024 · Cited by 975
Multirelational organization of large-scale social networks in an online world
Szell, M., Lambiotte, R., & Stefan Thurner, A. (2010) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1004008107 · Cited by 926
Virtual Community Attraction: Why People Hang Out Online
Ridings, C. M., & Gefen, D. (2006) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2004.tb00229.x · Cited by 921
Computer Networks As Social Networks
Wellman, B. (2001) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1065547 · Cited by 918
The common sense census: media use by tweens and teens
Rideout, V. (2015) · Cited by 901
(2018) · Cited by 900
Moscovitch, M., Rosenbaum, R. S., Gilboa, A., Addis, D. R., Westmacott, R., Grady, C., McAndrews, M. P., Levine, B., Black, S., Winocur, G., et al. (2005) · Journal of Anatomy · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2005.00421.x · Cited by 893
Temporal and spatial dynamics of brain structure changes during extensive learning
Draganski, B., Gaser, C., Kempermann, G., Kuhn, H. G., Winkler, J., Buchel, C., & May, A. (2006) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.4628-05.2006 · Cited by 765
Social relationships and physiological determinants of longevity across the human life span
Yang, Y. C., Boen, C., Gerken, K., Li, T., Schorpp, K., & Harris, K. M. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1511085112 · Cited by 751
Levy (1994) · doi:10.1017/s1041610294001626 · Cited by 706
Skinner, B. F. (1963) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/h0045185 · Cited by 675
Social media use and anxiety in emerging adults
Vannucci, A., Flannery, K. M., & Ohannessian, C. M. (2017) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2016.08.040 · Cited by 623
Discrete hierarchical organization of social group sizes
Zhou, W.-X., Sornette, D., Hill, R. A., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2005) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2004.2970 · Cited by 574
Amygdala volume and social network size in humans
Bickart, K. C., Wright, C. I., Dautoff, R. J., Dickerson, B. C., & Barrett, L. F. (2011) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn.2724 · Cited by 556
Media use and brain development during adolescence
Crone, E. A., & Konijn, E. A. (2018) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x · Cited by 464
Transactive Memory Systems: Current Issues and Future Research Directions
Lewis, K., & Herndon, B. (2011) · Organization Science · doi:10.1287/orsc.1110.0647 · Cited by 452
Hamm, M. P., Newton, A. S., Chisholm, A., Shulhan, J., Milne, A., Sundar, P., Ennis, H., Scott, S. D., & Hartling, L. (2015) · JAMA Pediatrics · doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.0944 · Cited by 449 · cited 1×
“Within this, it seems particularly important that future research determines the impact of the Internet on us through out different points in the lifespan.”
BackgroundKühn, S., Gleich, T., Lorenz, R. C., Lindenberger, U., & Gallinat, J. (2014) · Molecular Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/mp.2013.120 · Cited by 441
Dunbar, R. (2017) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2017.10.004 · Cited by 419
The organization of dorsal frontal cortex in humans and macaques
Sallet, J., Mars, R. B., Noonan, M. P., Neubert, F.-X., Jbabdi, S., O'Reilly, J. X., Filippini, N., Thomas, A. G., & Rushworth, M. F. (2013) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.5108-12.2013 · Cited by 416
Relationships and the social brain: Integrating psychological and evolutionary perspectives
Sutcliffe, A., Dunbar, R., Binder, J., & Arrow, H. (2012) · British Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02061.x · Cited by 415
Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked
Cramer, B. W. (2018) · Journal of Information Policy · doi:10.5325/jinfopoli.8.1.0314 · Cited by 415
Do online social media cut through the constraints that limit the size of offline social networks?
Dunbar, R. I. M. (2016) · Royal Society Open Science · doi:10.1098/rsos.150292 · Cited by 404
Social Media in the Egyptian Revolution: Reconsidering Resource Mobilization Theory
Eltantawy, N., & Wiest, J. B. (2011) · Cited by 400
The structure of online social networks mirrors those in the offline world
Dunbar, R., Arnaboldi, V., Conti, M., & Passarella, A. (2015) · Social Networks · doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2015.04.005 · Cited by 397
The WPA-Lancet psychiatry commission on the future of psychiatry
Bhugra, D., Tasman, A., Pathare, S., Priebe, S., Smith, S., Torous, J., Arbuckle, M. R., Langford, A., Alarcón, R. D., Chiu, H. F. K., et al. (2017) · The Lancet Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(17)30333-4 · Cited by 392
Self-citationOnline social network size is reflected in human brain structure
Kanai, R., Bahrami, B., Roylance, R., & Rees, G. (2012) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2011.1959 · Cited by 391
Sperling, R. A., Chua, E. F., Cocchiarella, A. J., Rand‐Giovannetti, E., Poldrack, R. A., Schacter, D. L., & Albert, M. (2003) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/s1053-8119(03)00391-4 · Cited by 370
The consequences of media multitasking for youth: A review
van der Schuur, W. A., Baumgartner, S. E., Sumter, S. R., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2015) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.035 · Cited by 370
The complex structure of hunter–gatherer social networks
Hamilton, M., Milne, B., Walker, R. S., Burger, O. F., & Brown, J. H. (2007) · Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2007.0564 · Cited by 357
Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Alcazar-Corcoles, M. A., González-Blanch, C., Bendall, S., McGorry, P. D., & Gleeson, J. F. (2014) · Schizophrenia Research · doi:10.1016/j.schres.2014.03.021 · Cited by 351
Self-citationA twenty-first century science
Watts, D. J. (2007) · Nature · doi:10.1038/445489a · Cited by 333
Searching for explanations: How the Internet inflates estimates of internal knowledge.
Fisher, M., Goddu, M. K., & Keil, F. C. (2015) · Journal of Experimental Psychology: General · doi:10.1037/xge0000070 · Cited by 330
The brain in your pocket: Evidence that Smartphones are used to supplant thinking
Barr, N., Pennycook, G., Stolz, J. A., & Fugelsang, J. A. (2015) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.029 · Cited by 327 · cited 1×
“…was associated with significantly poorer overall cogni tive performance, with a moderatetolarge effect size (Cohen’s d=–0.71, 95% CI: –0.86 to –0.57). has been confirmed by more recent studies, further showing that even shortterm engagement with an extensively hyperlinked online environ ment…”
ResultInfluentialTowards a consensus around standards for smartphone apps and digital mental health
Torous, J., Andersson, G., Bertagnoli, A., Christensen, H., Cuijpers, P., Firth, J., Haim, A., Hsin, H., Hollis, C., Lewis, S., et al. (2019) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.20592 · Cited by 325
Self-citationDigital phenotyping: a global tool for psychiatry
Insel, T. R. (2018) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.20550 · Cited by 308
Your Brain on Google: Patterns of Cerebral Activation during Internet Searching
Small, G. W., Moody, T. D., Siddarth, P., & Bookheimer, S. Y. (2009) · The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/jgp.0b013e3181953a02 · Cited by 306
Encoding novel face‐name associations: A functional MRI study
Sperling, R. A., Bates, J. F., Cocchiarella, A. J., Schacter, D. L., Rosen, B. R., & Albert, M. (2001) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.1047 · Cited by 303
Social Features of Online Networks: The Strength of Intermediary Ties in Online Social Media
Grabowicz, P. A., Ramasco, J. J., Moro, E., Pujol, J. M., & Eguı́luz, V. M. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029358 · Cited by 285
Point-and-Shoot Memories: The Influence of Taking Photos on Memory for a Museum Tour
Henkel, L. A. (2014) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797613504438 · Cited by 278
How Has the Internet Reshaped Human Cognition?
Loh, K. K., & Kanai, R. (2016) · The Neuroscientist · doi:10.1177/1073858415595005 · Cited by 272
When Atoms Meet Bits: Social Media, the Mobile Web and Augmented Revolution
Jurgenson, N. (2012) · Future Internet · doi:10.3390/fi4010083 · Cited by 272
Momentary interruptions can derail the train of thought.
Altmann, E. M., Trafton, J. G., & Hambrick, D. Z. (2014) · Journal of Experimental Psychology: General · doi:10.1037/a0030986 · Cited by 230
On the HORYZON: Moderated online social therapy for long-term recovery in first episode psychosis
Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Bendall, S., Lederman, R., Wadley, G., Chinnery, G., Vargas, S., Larkin, M., Killackey, E., McGorry, P. D., & Gleeson, J. F. (2013) · Schizophrenia Research · doi:10.1016/j.schres.2012.10.009 · Cited by 224
Self-citationSecond-language learning and changes in the brain
Osterhout, L., Poliakov, A. V., Inoue, K., McLaughlin, J. A., Valentine, G., Pitkänen, I., Frenck-Mestre, C. A., & Hirschensohn, J. (2008) · Journal of Neurolinguistics · doi:10.1016/j.jneuroling.2008.01.001 · Cited by 223
Minds and brains of media multitaskers: Current findings and future directions
Uncapher, M. R., & Wagner, A. D. (2018) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1611612115 · Cited by 217
Yeykelis, L., Cummings, J. J., & Reeves, B. (2014) · Journal of Communication · doi:10.1111/jcom.12070 · Cited by 216 · cited 3×
“Supporting this, the study also found that, whereas switching from work related content to entertainment was associated with increased arousal in antici pation of the switch, there was no anticipatory arousal spike as sociated with entertainment to workcontent switches 26 .”
BackgroundResultInfluentialTorous, J., Larsen, M. E., Depp, C., Cosco, T. D., Barnett, I., Nock, M. K., & Firth, J. (2018) · Current Psychiatry Reports · doi:10.1007/s11920-018-0914-y · Cited by 207
Self-citationSmall, B. J., Dixon, R. A., McArdle, J. J., & Grimm, K. J. (2011) · Neuropsychology · doi:10.1037/a0026579 · Cited by 203
Time as a limited resource: Communication strategy in mobile phone networks
Miritello, G., Moro, E., Lara, R., Martínez-López, R., Belchamber, J., Roberts, S. G. B., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2013) · Social Networks · doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2013.01.003 · Cited by 203
Moisala, M., Salmela, V., Hietajärvi, L., Salo, E., Carlson, S., Salonen, O., Lonka, K., Hakkarainen, K., Salmela-Aro, K., & Alho, K. (2016) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.04.011 · Cited by 200
Media multitasking and failures of attention in everyday life
Ralph, B. C. W., Thomson, D. R., Cheyne, J. A., & Smilek, D. (2014) · Psychological Research · doi:10.1007/s00426-013-0523-7 · Cited by 194
Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Online Social Therapy for Youth Mental Health
D'Alfonso, S., Santesteban-Echarri, O., Rice, S., Wadley, G., Lederman, R., Miles, C., Gleeson, J., & Alvarez-Jimenez, M. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00796 · Cited by 192
Self-citationSaving-Enhanced Memory: The Benefits of Saving on the Learning and Remembering of New Information
Storm, B. C., & Stone, S. M. (2015) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797614559285 · Cited by 192
Supernormal: How the Internet Is Changing Our Memories and Our Minds
Ward, A. F. (2013) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1080/1047840x.2013.850148 · Cited by 188
Lui, K. F. H., & Wong, A. C.-N. (2012) · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review · doi:10.3758/s13423-012-0245-7 · Cited by 179
Close social associations in animals and humans: functions and mechanisms of friendship
Massen, J., Sterck, E., & de Vos, H. (2010) · Behaviour · doi:10.1163/000579510x528224 · Cited by 179
Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked
Cramer, B. W. (2018) · Journal of Information Policy · doi:10.5325/jinfopoli.8.2018.0314 · Cited by 179
The role of medial prefrontal cortex in early social cognition
Großmann, T. (2013) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00340 · Cited by 173
Takeuchi, H., Taki, Y., Asano, K., Asano, M., Sassa, Y., Yokota, S., Kotozaki, Y., Nouchi, R., & Kawashima, R. (2018) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.24286 · Cited by 149
How Teens Do Research in the Digital World.
Purcell, K., Rainie, L., Heaps, A., Buchanan, J., Friedrich, L., Jacklin, A., Chen, C., & Zickuhr, K. (2012) · Cited by 147
Network scaling reveals consistent fractal pattern in hierarchical mammalian societies
Hill, R. A., Bentley, R. A., & Dunbar, R. (2008) · Biology Letters · doi:10.1098/rsbl.2008.0393 · Cited by 144
The debate over digital technology and young people
Bell, V., Bishop, D. V. M., & Przybylski, A. K. (2015) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.h3064 · Cited by 143
Loh, K. K., & Kanai, R. (2014) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106698 · Cited by 141
Determining typical smartphone usage: What data do we need?
Wilcockson, T. D. W., Ellis, D. A., & Shaw, H. (2018) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2017.0652 · Cited by 138 · cited 1×
“Furthermore, even when not using the Internet for any spe 18 formation rewards” that are received immediately on checking the device 19 , potentially engaging the corticostriatal dopa minergic system due to their readily available nature 20 .”
BackgroundStorm, B. C., Stone, S. M., & Benjamin, A. S. (2017) · Memory · doi:10.1080/09658211.2016.1210171 · Cited by 137
Impact of the Internet on our lives: Male and female personal perspectives
Colley, A. M., & Maltby, J. (2007) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2007.09.002 · Cited by 133
Achterberg, M., van Duijvenvoorde, A. C. K., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & Crone, E. A. (2016) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nsv154 · Cited by 125
Sunstein, C. R. (2018) · Princeton University Press eBooks · doi:10.2307/j.ctv8xnhtd · Cited by 125
Use-Dependent Cortical Processing from Fingertips in Touchscreen Phone Users
Gindrat, A., Chytiris, M., Balerna, M., Rouiller, E. M., & Ghosh, A. (2014) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.11.026 · Cited by 123
Sharing the joke: the size of natural laughter groups
Dezecache, G., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2012) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2012.07.002 · Cited by 122
Rice, S., Gleeson, J., Davey, C., Hetrick, S., Parker, A., Lederman, R., Wadley, G., Murray, G., Herrman, H., Chambers, R., et al. (2018) · Early Intervention in Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/eip.12354 · Cited by 118
Self-citationBrain and Social Networks: Fundamental Building Blocks of Human Experience
Falk, E. B., & Bassett, D. S. (2017) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2017.06.009 · Cited by 118
Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Gleeson, J. F., Bendall, S., Penn, D. L., Yung, A. R., Ryan, R. M., Eleftheriadis, D., D'Alfonso, S., Rice, S., Miles, C., et al. (2018) · Schizophrenia Research · doi:10.1016/j.schres.2018.07.022 · Cited by 118
Self-citationBaumgartner, S. E., van der Schuur, W. A., Lemmens, J. S., & te Poel, F. (2018) · Human Communication Research · doi:10.1093/hcre.12111 · Cited by 91
Wild birds respond to flockmate loss by increasing their social network associations to others
Firth, J. A., Voelkl, B., Crates, R., Aplin, L. M., Biro, D., Croft, D. P., & Sheldon, B. C. (2017) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2017.0299 · Cited by 84
Self-citationGoekint, M., Bos, I., Heyman, E., MEEUSEN, R. R., Michotte, Y. M., & Sarre, S. (2011) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00306.2011 · Cited by 83
Can't stop scrolling!: pathological use of social networking sites in emerging adulthood
Holmgren, H. G., & Coyne, S. M. (2017) · Addiction Research & Theory · doi:10.1080/16066359.2017.1294164 · Cited by 81
Brains online: structural and functional correlates of habitual Internet use
Kühn, S., & Gallinat, J. (2014) · Addiction Biology · doi:10.1111/adb.12128 · Cited by 80
Oh, S. J., Seo, S., Lee, J. H., Song, M. J., & Shin, M. (2017) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2016.1274373 · Cited by 78
Zhou, F., Montag, C., Sariyska, R., Lachmann, B., Reuter, M., Weber, B., Trautner, P., Kendrick, K. M., Markett, S. A., & Becker, B. (2017) · Addiction Biology · doi:10.1111/adb.12570 · Cited by 77
How Google Is Changing Your Brain
Wegner, D. M., & Ward, A. F. (2013) · Scientific American · doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1213-58 · Cited by 72
The Internet, Cognitive Enhancement, and the Values of Cognition
Heersmink, R. (2016) · Minds and Machines · doi:10.1007/s11023-016-9404-3 · Cited by 71
Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Bendall, S., Koval, P., Rice, S., Cagliarini, D., Valentine, L., D’Alfonso, S., Miles, C., Russon, P., Penn, D. L., et al. (2019) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024104 · Cited by 69
Self-citationFirth, J. A., Sheldon, B. C., & Brent, L. J. N. (2017) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2017.1939 · Cited by 68
Self-citationFractal multi-level organisation of human groups in a virtual world
Fuchs, B., Sornette, D., & Thurner, S. (2014) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/srep06526 · Cited by 66
Gleeson, J., Cotton, S., Álvarez‐Jiménez, M., Wade, D., Gee, D., Crisp, K., Pearce, T., Spiliotacopoulos, D., Newman, B., & McGorry, P. D. (2011) · Schizophrenia Bulletin · doi:10.1093/schbul/sbr165 · Cited by 66
Self-citationBehavioural and brain responses related to Internet search and memory
Dong, G., & Potenza, M. N. (2015) · European Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1111/ejn.13039 · Cited by 59
The neural and behavioral correlates of social evaluation in childhood
Achterberg, M., van Duijvenvoorde, A. C. K., van der Meulen, M., Euser, S., Bakermans‐Kranenburg, M. J., & Crone, E. A. (2017) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2017.02.007 · Cited by 56
Blurring boundaries: Effects of device features on metacognitive evaluations
Hamilton, K. A., & Yao, M. Z. (2018) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2018.07.044 · Cited by 55
Online Social Networks: Human Cognitive Constraints in Facebook and Twitter Personal Graphs
Arnaboldi, V., Passarella, A., Conti, M., & Dunbar, R. (2015) · Cited by 52
Gleeson, J., Lederman, R., Koval, P., Wadley, G., Bendall, S., Cotton, S., Herrman, H., Crisp, K., & Alvarez-Jimenez, M. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00485 · Cited by 50
Self-citationCognition and the Web: Extended, Transactive, or Scaffolded?
Heersmink, R., & Sutton, J. D. (2018) · Erkenntnis · doi:10.1007/s10670-018-0022-8 · Cited by 48
Connective recovery in social networks after the death of a friend
Hobbs, W., & Burke, M. (2017) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-017-0092 · Cited by 40
Attentional scope is reduced by internet use: a behavior and ERP study
Peng, M., Chen, X., Zhao, Q., & Zhou, Z. (2018) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0198543 · Cited by 34
Gleeson, J., Lederman, R., Herrman, H., Koval, P., Eleftheriadis, D., Bendall, S., Cotton, S. M., & Alvarez-Jimenez, M. (2017) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1775-5 · Cited by 33
Self-citationBridging the dichotomy of actual versus aspirational digital health
Torous, J. B., & Firth, J. (2018) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.20464 · Cited by 32
Self-citationShort-term Internet search using makes people rely on search engines when facing unknown issues
Wang, Y., Wu, L., Luo, L., Zhang, Y., & Dong, G. (2017) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0176325 · Cited by 30
Internet Search Alters Intra- and Inter-regional Synchronization in the Temporal Gyrus
Liu, X., Lin, X., Zheng, M., Hu, Y., Wang, Y., Wang, L., Du, X., & Dong, G. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00260 · Cited by 28
Dong, G., Li, H., & Potenza, M. N. (2017) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2017.00372 · Cited by 27
Telemental health: Why the revolution has not arrived
Aboujaoude, E. (2018) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.20551 · Cited by 27
Sizes of Permanent Campsite Communities Reflect Constraints on Natural Human Communities
Kordsmeyer, T. L., Carron, P. M., & Dunbar, R. (2017) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/690731 · Cited by 26
Modelling the Evolution of Social Structure
Sutcliffe, A., Dunbar, R., & Wang, D. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158605 · Cited by 22
Short-term Internet-search practicing modulates brain activity during recollection
Dong, G., & Potenza, M. N. (2016) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.08.028 · Cited by 21
Clique Size and Network Characteristics in Hyperlink Cinema
Krems, J. A., & Dunbar, R. (2013) · Human Nature · doi:10.1007/s12110-013-9177-9 · Cited by 19
Twenge, J. M., Joiner, T. E., Martin, G. N., & Rogers, M. L. (2018) · Clinical Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/2167702618759321 · Cited by 18
Amount of Time Online Is Problematic if It Displaces Face-to-Face Social Interaction and Sleep
Twenge, J., Joiner, T., Martin, G., & Rogers, M. L. (2018) · Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/2167702618778562 · Cited by 13
Dunbar, R. I. M. (1998) · Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews · doi:10.1002/(sici)1520-6505(1998)6:5
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Perrin A, 2018, About a quarter of US adults say they are ‘almost constantly’ online, Pew Research Center, March, 14
- Kay M, 2011, mHealth: new horizons for health through mobile technologies
- Royal Society of Public Health, 2017, Status of mind: social media and young people's mental health
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Torous, J., Bucci, S., Bell, I. H., Kessing, L. V., Faurholt‐Jepsen, M., Whelan, P., Carvalho, A. F., Keshavan, M., Linardon, J., & Firth, J. (2021) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.20883 · Cited by 1,199
“The impact of social media on the developing brain also re mains an unresolved 61 yet frequently discussed topic, especially as the pandemic has forced increasing reliance on technology to connect people.”
BackgroundSelf-citationFirth, J., Solmi, M., Wootton, R. E., Vancampfort, D., Schuch, F. B., Hoare, E., Gilbody, S., Torous, J., Teasdale, S. B., Jackson, S. E., et al. (2020) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.20773 · Cited by 1,242
Self-citationAI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking
Gerlich, M. (2025) · Societies · doi:10.3390/soc15010006 · Cited by 1,248
“Another study [24] explores how digital tools and the Internet affect various cognitive functions, including attention, memory, and critical thinking, offering insights into the potential downsides of heavy reliance on digital technologies.”
The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health
McGorry, P. D., Mei, C., Dalal, N., Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Blakemore, S.-J., Browne, V., Dooley, B., Hickie, I. B., Jones, P. B., McDaid, D., et al. (2024) · The Lancet Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(24)00163-9 · Cited by 663
Brain health consequences of digital technology use
Small, G. W., Lee, J., Kaufman, A., Jalil, J., Siddarth, P., Gaddipati, H., Moody, T. D., & Bookheimer, S. Y. (2020) · Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience · doi:10.31887/dcns.2020.22.2/gsmall · Cited by 491
Metadata
- Authors
- Firth, J., Torous, J., Stubbs, B., Firth, J. A., Steiner, G. Z., Smith, L., Alvarez‐Jimenez, M., Gleeson, J., Vancampfort, D., Armitage, C. J., & Sarris, J.
- Affiliations
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (US)
- National Health Service (GB)
- Western Sydney University (AU)
- Anglia Ruskin University (GB)
- Centre for Youth Mental Health University of Melbourne Melbourne Australia
- KU Leuven (BE)
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (GB)
- ORCID
- Venue
- World Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2019-05-06
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 119-129
- ISSN
- 1723-8617 (ISSN-L)
- 2051-5545
- PMC
- PMC6502424
- OpenAlex
- W2944285188
- Cited by
- 694
- References
- 135
- Citations by year
- 2026: 136 · 2025: 100 · 2024: 98 · 2023: 145 · 2022: 76 · 2021: 77 · 2020: 46 · 2019: 16
- FWCI
- 108.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- World Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Lirias (KU Leuven) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Anglia Ruskin Research Online (Anglia Ruskin University) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (APP1125000, ICA-CL-2017-03-001, NIHR-INF-0685)
- NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre
- Patient Safety Translational Research Centre
- Manchester Biomedical Research Centre
- Medical Research Council
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/S009752/1)
- National Health and Medical Research Council (1102532, 1125000, 1082934)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Communication › Digital Media and Philosophy
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Personal Information Management and User Behavior
- Keywords
- internet use, cognitive change, attention, divided attention, sustained attention, memory, online information, social cognition, self-concept, self-esteem, online social interaction
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
