How technology and social media affect teens' brain, behavior, and well-being
Official title: A longitudinal study investigating TDM and adolescent health and development: Brain, Behavior and well-Being
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11367878 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are following teens aged 12–20 over time to see how their use of technology and digital media relates to mental health, behavior, and brain development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,491,340 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HD109850-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11367878 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adolescents aged 12–20 who can share information about their digital media use, complete surveys and behavioral tests, and attend in-person brain imaging visits.
✕Less likely to help
This project may not benefit children under 12, adults, teens who cannot undergo MRI, or those unwilling to share digital media data or attend study visits.
What this research studies
This program follows teens aged 12–20 for two years to learn how technology and digital media use links to emotional health, behavior, and brain development. The team combines surveys, behavioral tests, and digital-media data with brain scans (fMRI) to examine how positive and negative online experiences relate to mental and behavioral health. One project focuses on mechanisms tied to risk behaviors, another maps brain responses to online experiences, and a third uses interviews and content analysis to study self- and other-generated media. All projects draw from a shared participant pool so researchers can track changes over time and compare results across methods.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could inform safer social media guidance and targeted supports to protect teens' mental health and reduce risky behaviors.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked social media to adolescent risk and well-being and shown related brain patterns, but combining longitudinal digital-trace data with fMRI in an integrated program is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: M0reno, Megan a. — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: M0reno, Megan a.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.