Two decades on from the start of the smartphone revolution, we have the first humans who, for as long as they’ve been alive, have had the entire internet just a few taps away. What has this done to our brains?

It’s been an unprecedented period of rapid change, and, with the largest social networking sites using every neurological trick in the book to keep us endlessly scrolling down our feeds, what can we do to make our relationship with social media healthier?

In this episode of ‘Your Brain On...’, we discuss:

• The brain health risks of social media overuse (and rewards of healthy use!)

• How social media apps are designed to keep us addicted

• Structural brain changes that have been sparked by the digital age

• The neuroscience of doom-scrolling, social comparison, social media’s impact on sleep

• Practical steps to balance our social media use

We’re joined by two internationally-renowned experts on these topics:

DR. JEAN TWENGE, a researcher, author, and psychologist known for her work on how social media affects the mental health of different generations.

DR.  LARRY ROSEN, co-author of ‘The Distracted Mind’ and celebrated expert in the psychology of technology.

This is... Your Brain On Social Media.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... Social Media’ • SEASON 4 • EPISODE 6

‘Your Brain On...’ is supported by the NEURO World Retreat, taking place in San Diego, September 2–5 2025: https://neuroworldretreat.com/

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LINKS

DR. JEAN TWENGE

Dr. Twenge’s website: https://www.jeantwenge.com/

at San Diego State University: https://psychology.sdsu.edu/people/jean-twenge/

DR. LARRY ROSEN

Dr. Rosen’s website: https://drlarryrosen.com/

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Website: TheBrainDocs.com

More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast