TULSA, Oklahoma — Channel 9 is looking into the impact of social media apps like TikTok on the mental health of young people.
Researchers at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa are studying how the teenage brain reacts to TikTok and other social media platforms.
Many kids and adults are on their phones constantly, and those researchers said kids’ brains react to social media addictions the same way as if they were addicted to drugs -- the brain gets a jolt of dopamine and needs to keep that feeling going.
“The number of likes or the number of followers or the number of comments you’re getting for a post -- that is essentially the social currency people strive for,” said Dr. Martin Paulus.
But that social media currency can come with a cost via social media challenges, like fines from schools or court fees.
Paulus said that for teenagers, the high from social media “likes” can be as powerful as one from meth or cocaine. He said it can lead some teens to ignore the risks when social media goes too far.
“The line between what you’re experiencing in the real world -- when you say you’re transgressing, you’re doing something wrong -- and what you’re doing for a game in a social media platform online, becomes blurry and becomes unclear,” Paulus said.
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Those researchers are still studying the long-term impact of social media addiction but said people addicted to social media may be more prone to other types of addiction.
Experts recommend age-appropriate privacy controls on all social media for young people. They also suggest linking your teen’s account to yours, so you can monitor activity.
Remind your kids of the dangers of social media challenges and that, no matter what somebody else might post, there are consequences for doing the wrong thing.
(WATCH BELOW: Social media and mental health)
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