Aligning social media design with adolescent brain development: rationale and recommendations

Abstract

The human brain and its associated faculties develop in a non-linear, asynchronous way across childhood and adolescence. Current digital technology policies, especially those involving social media, have failed to adequately account for this in their design. To maximise efficacy and societal benefit, such policies must be biologically informed. Synthesising across existing neuroscientific evidence, we propose a developmentally staged framework for biologically informed social media design and regulation. If implemented, the resulting recommendations may help to safeguard young people during particular periods of vulnerability while supporting healthy growth and learning opportunities.