Screen Time: A Threat to Adolescent Brain Development?

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Screens. Should the recommended time spent on screens get raised? The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) is thinking about raising the recommended amount of screen time to 4 hours from 2 hours. The AAP is a company of pediatrics that decides what is best for children and adolescents in the United States ( AAP facts at aap.org). The recommended screen time should not be raised because of the prefrontal cortex, the limbic system, and synaptic pruning. To begin with, the prefrontal cortex controls decision making, and it is underdeveloped in teens so they don’t always make the wisest decisions. The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain that asks yourself “is this really a good idea?” or “what are the consequences of this idea?” (teens and decision making). This is among the last of areas of the brain to develop (scholastic). The mid 20’s of a person’s life is the prefrontal cortex is fully developed (Bernstein) Teens when on technology are likely to make a reckless decision (Bernstein). Such as, talking to strangers or even giving them their address. This …show more content…

So, if a teen is angry with someone then when on technology they are more likely to make a decision they may regret later in life. The main neurotransmitter in the limbic system is dopamine (Giedd). A neurotransmitter is an electrical impulse that connects synapses (gaps between nerves) (Bernstein). Dopamine is a feel good chemical substance in the brain that often leads to addictions (Knox). Technology causes dopamine to be released in the brain so teens are on technology more in order to get more dopamine, then they get addicted to it. If teens get addicted to technology then the time they should spend with family or friends will be spent on tech. and those people will not get dopamine but, will feel rejected

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