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AMERICAN V AM PSY'CN^ OLOGICA Usm wow ASSOCIATION TMEM Now SERVICES,INC. p following section, I will discuss the psychological effects of opportunities lost while youth spend time online. Last, I will discuss potential solutions and policy recommendations. Online/ Social Media Behaviors and Youth Mental Health Pre-adulthood use of technology and social media may be particularly concerning. There is reason to be significantly concerned about the age at which many youth begin using technology and social media. Developmental neuroscientists have revealed that there are two highly critical periods for adaptive neural development. Aberrations in our brain growth during these periods may have lifetime implications. One of these is the first year of life. The second begins at the outset of puberty and lasts until early adulthood(i.e., from approximately 10 to 25 years old). This latter period is highly relevant, as this is when a great number of youths are offered relatively unfettered access to devices and unrestricted or unsupervised use of social media and other online platforms '. Within the age range of 10-25 years, change occurs gradually and steadily; thus risks likely are greater towards the beginning of this range and become attenuated as youth mature. Herein, this period is referred to as "pre-adulthood." At the outset of puberty, adolescents' brains begin developing in a specific,pre-determined sequence. Generally, sub-cortical areas shared with many mammalian species mature before areas at the top layer of the brain, which is responsible for many of our more human capabilities, such as premeditation, reflection, and inhibition. Among these initial areas developing among most youth, typically starting at the ages of 10-12 years old, are regions associated with our craving for "social rewards," such as visibility, attention, and positive feedback from peers. In contrast, regions involved in our ability to inhibit our behavior, and resist temptations (i.e., the prefrontal cortex) do not frilly develop until early adulthood(i.e., approximately 10-15 years later). In other words, when it comes to youths' cravings for social attention, they are "all gas pedal with no Vogels,E.A., Gelles-Watnick,R., &Massarat,N. (2022,August 10).Teens, social media and technology 2022. Pew Research Center llitdi2s..://www.,,,.l)cwr�s rarc:°lla.orsy/ititeni t/2022/08/a 0/deals social heel a grid..t�c llarlsr,l,crs�y 6 AMORG APASERVICES.ORG 750 Furst street,NIIE 202.336.5800 Advocating for APA rrterribers ood psychology Washington,DC'20002-4242 202.336,6123 TDD