Teenagers now pick up their phones more than 100 times a day on average. 95% of teens say that they use social media, and 37% of teens report using it “almost constantly.” These statistics may raise an eyebrow for some, but to me, they’re not surprising. Growing up in an increasingly digital world, I’ve seen firsthand how social media, AI, and other emerging technologies have transformed everyday life. These tools have profoundly shaped—and perhaps to some extent, defined—my generation, with impacts that will surely intensify in the generations to come.
Last year, driven by my passion for education, I focused on helping kids and young adults better navigate the technologies they depend on every day. The lesson plans I developed, centering primarily on social media usage and digital communication, reached K-12 classrooms across the country. I also drafted white papers and authored blog posts for students, parents, and educators to recommend strategies for using technological tools in more positive, responsible ways.
This work was incredibly meaningful and rewarding for me. Yet, as a neuroscience and psychology student, I couldn’t help but wonder about the actual influence of these technologies on psychological development and mental wellbeing. How does using different digital platforms affect how people view themselves? Can social media truly be addictive? How does it impact mental health? Learning? Curiosity? Open-mindedness? While we have some answers, the rapid pace of technological development has left significant gaps in our understanding. With technology’s impact on our lives only growing, understanding its effects from an empirical perspective is of utmost importance.
I am deeply grateful for the Gil Internship program’s willingness to form a new partnership this year with The Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Development, where I’ve been immersed in this research area for the past few months. The Winston Center conducts a wide range of timely, cutting-edge projects on how young people in particular are impacted by technology use, and it has been an incredible experience to contribute to such exciting work. Since the start of the semester, I have actively recruited fellow college students at UNC to participate in a novel study on “digital reminiscing,” examining how young adults reflect on past experiences through their past Instagram posts. I am also coding photovoice data for a different study, which has opened my eyes to how photography narratives can powerfully illuminate individual experiences. Recently, most of my time has been devoted to an independent project I developed, exploring how the frequency of teens’ phone “pickups” throughout the day might affect curiosity, creativity, and other measures related to learning. This research stems from a larger longitudinal study investigating how technology influences social decision-making and the neural correlates associated with technology exposure in teens.
My time at the Winston Center has solidified my desire to pursue a career at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, education, and technology. Being part of such a passionate team of mentors and researchers (and an amazing cohort of Gil interns!) has fueled my excitement for future opportunities to work on collaborative projects. As technology progresses, research must advance with it. I hope to apply what I’m learning now to someday pioneer new ways of studying the technological innovations of the future, ultimately helping people harness technology for the betterment of our modern world.
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