As discussed in Previous Trending with Teens articles, smart phones trigger the same Dopamine response in the brain as occurs with gaming. Given their ever-present nature, the excitement of a “ding” from the phone when using apps like Instagram intrudes upon our focused attention at any given time. As a result, having a phone next to you when trying to do homework means that you are in a state of constant partial attention when the ding keeps going off.

For the developing teen brain (which is wiring up in relation to the environment it lives in), researchers worry that an entire generation of teens is wiring their brains to need this stimulation and will only be able to focus for brief periods of time. Smart Phones.pdf (115.9 KBs)