New research published in the journal NeuroImage suggests that spending more time on social media is associated with physical differences in the developing brains of young adolescents. Specifically, children who spent more hours on digital platforms exhibited a thinner outer layer of the brain in areas responsible for attention, memory, and emotional control. These findings provide evidence that everyday digital habits might relate to how the brain physically matures during a highly sensitive period of growth. Early adolescence is a period characterized by major physical, social, and mental changes. During this time, the brain undergoes a high degree of restructuring to prepare a child for adulthood. At the same time, children are increasingly gaining access to smartphones and creating social media accounts for the very first time. Recent statistics suggest that a majority of young adolescents between the ages of 11 and 12 use these platforms regularly. Scientists wanted to know if this widespread social media use is linked to how the brain develops. Past research has associated general screen time, like watching television or …