The digital revolution and adolescent brain evolution
Open accessAbstract
Remarkable advances in technologies that enable the distribution and use of information encoded as digital sequences of 1s or 0s have dramatically changed our way of life. Adolescents, old enough to master the technologies and young enough to welcome their novelty, are at the forefront of this "digital revolution." Underlying the adolescent's eager embracement of these sweeping changes is a neurobiology forged by the fires of evolution to be extremely adept at adaptation. The consequences of the brain's adaptation to the demands and opportunities of the digital age have enormous implications for adolescent health professionals.
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The amygdala and hippocampus also develop during the same period following non-linear patterns until early adulthood.
“Together with the HPA axis, however, the amygdala and the hippocampus also develop during the same period following non-linear patterns until early adulthood (96–100).”
From Developmental Trajectories of Early Life Stress and Trauma: A Narrative Review on Neurobiological Aspects Beyond Stress System Dysregulation (2019) · cites this paper as [97]
In “The Adolescent Brain: Evolution and Neurobiology” (page unavailable), the paper describes an inverted-U trajectory for gray matter volume across the first three decades of life and changes in subcortical structures around puberty. It does not identify the amygdala or hippocampus as following that trajectory into early adulthood, or discuss their development alongside the HPA axis. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSpending extensive periods of time with digital media translates to spending less time communicating face to face.
“Spending extensive periods of time with digital media translates to spending less time communicating face to face.11”
From Brain health consequences of digital technology use (2020) · cites this paper as [11]
The Introduction reports extensive digital-device use among adolescents. The “Digital Revolution - Social” section raises reduced real-world interaction as a possibility, and “Social interactions in the Facebook era” says shy teens may spend very little time in direct human contact. The paper does not establish the claimed general relationship that more time with digital media means less face-to-face communication. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredExcessive screen time may be detrimental to young people as it stimulates neurobiological systems such as the HPA axis and dopaminergic circuitries.
“However, from a developmental neurobiology perspective, excessive ST may be detrimental to young people as ST stimulates neurobiological systems such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis [24] and dopaminergic circuitries [25].”
From Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as [25]
The Entertainment section says video games stimulate reward circuitry involving dopamine, and Attention Economy raises a possible downside of sustained dopamine stimulation. The citation [25] is attached to the dopaminergic-circuitry claim, not the HPA-axis claim. The source discusses video games and poses the detrimental effect as a question; it does not establish that screen time generally has that effect. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHPA axis activity trajectory develops from infancy to early adulthood and beyond.
“The HPA axis activity trajectory develops from infancy to early adulthood and beyond.”
From Developmental Trajectories of Early Life Stress and Trauma: A Narrative Review on Neurobiological Aspects Beyond Stress System Dysregulation (2019) · cites this paper as [97]
The Adolescent Brain: Evolution and Neurobiology section (page unavailable) discusses brain plasticity and structural maturation, not HPA-axis activity. Searches for the claimed trajectory and for hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal activity and cortisol found no passage addressing HPA-axis development from infancy into adulthood. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPeer influence generally increases during adolescence in Western culture.
“Peer influence is generally found to increase during adolescence in Western culture (Giedd, 2012).”
From Peer Group and Friend Influences on the Social Acceptability of Adolescent Book Reading (2014) · cites this paper as Giedd, 2012
The Discussion describes socializing with peers as a task of adolescent development, and “Social interactions in the Facebook era” discusses adolescents’ online relationships. Neither passage says that peer influence generally increases during adolescence or makes that claim specifically about Western culture; searches for peer influence and peer pressure found no such passage in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.70)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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“Increasing the total screen time per day is assumed to stimulate the neurobiological system, especially the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis [26] and dopaminergic, serotonergic, and adrenergic circuits [27], leading to several types of emotional and behavioural problems.”
Background
- Authors
- Giedd, J. N.
- Affiliations
- National Institute of Mental Health (US)
- Corresponding author
- Giedd, Jay N.
- ORCID
- Giedd, Jay N.
- Venue
- Journal of Adolescent Health
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-08
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 101-105
- ISSN
- 1054-139X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3432415
- OpenAlex
- W2021772253
- Cited by
- 185
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 29.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Journal of Adolescent Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (Z99 MH999999)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Science Applications › Digital Media and Philosophy
- Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Digital Technology
- Keywords
- digital revolution, adolescents, brain evolution, digital technology use, adolescent brain development, neurobiology, adaptation, adolescent health
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Brain, Education, Biological Evolution, Female, Humans, Male, Violence, Sexuality, Internet, Informatics, Young Adult, Social Networking
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