The Hidden Toll: Social Media, ChatGPT & the Developing Brain

In today’s world, it’s no longer unusual to see children as young as 8 or 9 using smartphones, spending hours scrolling through TikTok, Instagram, or talking with friends in group chats. By age 12, about 69% of U.S. children own a smartphone. Many spend four to six hours a day engaged in screen-based social media or video content.

We’re living in a new landscape—and for developing brains, this landscape carries real risk. The human brain builds itself by forming connections, shaping attention systems, learning social cues, and practicing emotional regulation. When that brain is constantly bombarded—with social media “dopamine hits,” endless stimuli, or AI-driven chats—several detrimental effects are increasingly visible:

• Focus & Attention Problems: Excessive screen time correlates with higher incidence of inattention, hyperactivity, and trouble concentrating in school. 

• Social Skills & Presence: Kids become more comfortable communicating via screens than face to face, which can limit development of nonverbal cues, empathy, and the ability to be fully present.

• Sleep Disruption & Mental Health Strain: Heavy social media use is linked to poor sleep, increased anxiety, depression, and mood dysregulation.

The Problem With Relying on ADHD Medication

For many families, ADHD symptoms or behavioral disorders are addressed with stimulant medications like Adderall, Ritalin, or Vyvanse. While these drugs can help in the short term, they are not without risk—especially for developing brains.

• Side effects: appetite suppression, insomnia, mood swings, and increased anxiety.

• Addiction potential: ADHD stimulants are classified as controlled substances due to their high potential for dependency.

• Short-term relief only: The benefits last only as long as the medication is active. Once it wears off, symptoms return.

• Brain development concerns: Some research suggests long-term use may alter white matter development in young brains.

In other words, medication can be like “turning down the volume” on symptoms, but it does not address the root cause of dysregulated brain activity.

How MeRT Therapy Supports ADHD and Behavioral Struggles

MeRT (Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy) offers a different path. Instead of altering brain chemistry with stimulants, MeRT uses advanced brain mapping and gentle magnetic stimulation to retrain the brain’s natural rhythms.

Here’s why MeRT is different—and why it may provide longer-lasting results than medication:

• Customized to each brain: A qEEG brain scan identifies where communication in the brain is dysregulated. Treatment is then tailored to that individual.

• Drug-free and non-invasive: No chemicals, no dependency, no artificial stimulation.

• Addresses root dysregulation: By restoring normal brainwave patterns, MeRT helps the brain regulate itself—improving focus, mood, and sleep naturally.

• Lasting improvements: Unlike medication, which only works while it’s in the system, MeRT supports neuroplasticity, helping the brain create healthier patterns that can persist even after treatment ends.

Protecting the Next Generation’s Brain Health

The rise of smartphones and social media has created challenges we’ve never faced before. Children are more distracted, more anxious, and less socially engaged than ever—and stimulant medications are not always the safest or best solution.

At Braincare Performance Center, we help families explore gentler, brain-based solutions. By correcting brainwave dysregulation, MeRT offers children, teens, and adults the chance to thrive—without the risks of dependency or long-term side effects.