Time to put down the smartphone? Internet addiction rewires the brains of teens and could lead to other addictions, study says

Internet addiction rewires teenagers' brains and may make them more likely to engage in other addictive behaviour, new research suggests. Signalling between different areas of the brain related to controlling attention and understanding our own emotions were altered in youngsters addicted to being online, say scientists. Their findings, published in the journal PLOS Mental Health, indicate that internet addiction is associated with disrupted signalling in the regions of the brain involved in multiple neural networks. Study co-author Max Chang said: 'These networks play an important role in controlling our attention, in association with intellectual ability, working memory, physical coordination, and emotional processing. 'All of which in turn have an impact on mental health.'