How teens’ social media use affects mood and behavior with brain clues
Official title: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging to understand how positive and negative TDM experiences relate to mental and behavioral health
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11393900 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Teenagers’ use of social media and online interactions may shape their mood and behavior, and this project looks at how brain activity relates to those experiences.
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 | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $370,663 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HD109850-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393900 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents aged roughly 12–20 who use social media and experience a range of online social interactions.
✕Less likely to help
Teens who do not participate in digital media use or have limited access to brain-imaging procedures may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This grant explores how adolescents’ experiences with social media and online connections relate to mental and behavioral health, using brain imaging to understand underlying processes. Researchers will study how positive and negative online events influence emotions and behavior during adolescence, a time of heightened sensitivity to peer input. The study will collect brain data and behavioral measures to identify patterns that link digital media use with well-being. Findings could help families and clinicians support healthier online experiences for teens.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, results could guide personalized strategies to promote healthier social media use and improve adolescent mental health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows mixed results; this project aims to clarify how brain responses relate to social media experiences in youths.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cascio, Christopher N — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Cascio, Christopher N
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Systemic imaging probes for detecting tissue oxygen levels in cancer and other diseases
A researcher aims to develop a new europium-based MRI contrast agent that can be given systemically to visualize oxygen levels (hypoxia) in cancer and other diseases.
-
Improving deep brain stimulation with MRI and AI
We use brain scans and artificial intelligence to speed up and personalize deep brain stimulation settings for people getting DBS.
-
Portable MRI to identify brain injury after cardiac arrest
A portable, low-field MRI test is being studied to quickly identify brain injury in adults after cardiac arrest to guide treatment in the emergency room or ICU.
-
Understanding heart fibrosis with AI, MRI, and genomics
A doctor-scientist is using artificial intelligence, advanced heart MRI, and genetic data to learn how scar tissue forms in the aging heart and how to prevent it.
-
Ultrashort Echo Time MRI of the Knee to Detect Early Osteoarthritis
A new MRI technique using ultrashort echo time sequences to image knee tissues and detect early signs of knee osteoarthritis in patients.
-
Connectome 2.0: A high-performance brain MRI resource for studying brain circuits
A special MRI resource at Massachusetts General Hospital is being shared with researchers worldwide to help study brain circuits in living people.
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.