Why tech needs to be regulated before it rewires childhood
The rapid diffusion of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) tools has transformed how humans learn, remember and make decisions. These technologies provide extraordinary access to information and cognitive assistance. But a growing body of research suggests that excessive reliance on them may alter patterns of thinking, attention and learning. Understanding this impact requires examining three connected ideas: what research says about the cognitive effects of digital technologies, how the brain develops through “exercise”, and why the developmental stage of the brain — especially in youth — makes regulation a matter of public policy.
Research on heavy digital technology use has increasingly focused on attention, memory and critical thinking. The findings are nuanced. Technology can enhance learning when used deliberately, but excessive use appears to correlate with weaker engagement of higher-order thinking. Studies on social media use among children and adolescents suggest that heavy exposure is associated with declines in attention, working memory and executive functioning, particularly when usage becomes addictive or highly frequent. Excessive social media use has been linked with impaired attention and reduced working memory, even though some educational uses of these platforms can aid language learning and knowledge acquisition.
Research on AI use points to a related mechanism: cognitive offloading — the delegation of mental tasks such as memory, reasoning or problemsolving to external tools. Studies indicate that higher levels of AI tool use correlate with greater cognitive offloading and weaker critical-thinking scores. An MIT study conducted between April and July 2025 found a decline in cognitive abilities in the group using AI for defined tasks compared to an equivalent control group.
Broader reviews of digital technology use show two additional cognitive patterns. The first is digital amnesia: when devices become the default storehouse of memory, internal recall weakens. The second is attention fragmentation: algorithm-driven feeds and rapid content switching strain sustained attention and encourage shallow information processing. Taken together, these findings point to what some researchers call an “efficiency-atrophy paradox”. Technology improves shortterm performance and speed, but may also reduce opportunities for the brain to practice complex reasoning and memory formation.
Why does this happen? Because the brain develops through neuroplasticity: neural circuits strengthen when they are repeatedly activated. Learning occurs when neurons that “fire together” form stronger synaptic connections. Activities that demand sustained attention, reasoning and problem-solving stimulate these networks and strengthen them over time. The brain’s prefrontal cortex, located behind the forehead, plays a central role in executive functions — planning, decision-making, impulse control and goal-directed behaviour. These abilities are essential for judgment, leadership and long-term thinking. Yet this region reaches full maturity only around ages 21 to 25, making it the last major part of the brain to fully develop.
During adolescence and early adulthood, neural networks responsible for executive control are still forming. Studies of youth brain development show that structural brain networks gradually reorganise during this period, enabling improvements in working memory, cognitive flexibility and decision-making. Cognitive abilities are therefore shaped significantly by the activities the brain repeatedly performs during these years. Just as muscles strengthen through physical exercise, cognitive networks strengthen through demanding mental activity — reading deeply, solving problems, debating and practising complex reasoning.
The reverse is also true. When cognitive tasks are consistently delegated to external systems, the brain gets fewer opportunities to exercise these circuits. Social media platforms and AI systems often reduce the need for sustained mental effort. Algorithms curate information streams, while AI tools can summarise text, generate arguments, solve problems and produce writing. These tools undoubtedly enhance productivity, but excessive reliance can reduce how often individuals engage in cognitively demanding tasks. Research shows that when AI performs analytical work, users may engage less in independent reasoning and evaluation. This is particularly concerning in education, where young users may outsource summarising readings, writing essays or solving problems to AI systems. When cognitive effort declines, learning risks becoming superficial.
For developing brains, the risk is greater. Adolescents are often more sensitive to rewards and novelty because brain systems related to emotion and reward develop earlier than the executive control systems of the prefrontal cortex. Since executive functions mature only into the mid-twenties, young people may be especially vulnerable to technologies designed to maximise engagement. Heavy exposure to algorithmic feeds and instant answers can therefore produce a pattern in which attention becomes fragmented, deep learning declines, and cognitive skills such as memory, reasoning and sustained focus receive less practice. In effect, the brain’s “exercise regimen” changes. Instead of training reflection and sustained reasoning, it increasingly trains rapid navigation, scanning and reaction.
This has implications not just for families, but for societies and nations. Govts are beginning to experiment with regulatory guardrails around social media and digital technologies. One of the most notable examples is Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, which bars children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms. The law requires companies to prevent under-age accounts, with significant penalties for non-compliance.
The policy reflects growing concern that unrestricted social media exposure contributes to digital addiction and mental-health risks among adolescents. Other jurisdictions are exploring similar approaches. In India, Karnataka has announced plans to ban social media use for children under 16, positioning itself among the first regions in the country to move in this direction. European countries, including Sweden, have also debated stricter rules around children’s screen time and digital access, reflecting a broader recognition that digital environments may require safeguards similar to those applied to other public-health risks.
These policy initiatives generally pursue three objectives: protecting developing brains during the years when executive functions are still forming; reducing addictive platform design, including infinite scroll and algorithmic engagement loops; and encouraging balanced technology use that complements rather than replaces human cognition. Regulation, in other words, need not aim to eliminate technology. It is about shaping the conditions under which it is used, especially for the young.
So what should India do? If excessive reliance on social media and AI can alter attention, memory and critical thinking through cognitive offloading and attention fragmentation, better regulation is needed. The central insight from neuroscience is simple: the brain develops through use. Cognitive abilities strengthen when exercised and weaken when routinely delegated to external systems. Because the executive-control centres of the brain mature only in the early to mid-twenties, the effects of these technologies may be especially consequential for young people.
This emerging scientific understanding helps explain why policymakers are beginning to introduce guardrails around digital technologies — from age-based social media restrictions in Australia to proposals in Karnataka. As societies adapt to the AI age, the challenge will be to harness the immense benefits of these technologies while ensuring that human cognition continues to develop and flourish.
The writer is director and professor of marketing and international business, MDI Gurgaon
Fabio, R. A., & Picciotto, G. (2026). The relationship between social media use and adolescent inattention and impulsivity: A systematic review.
Research in Developmental Disabilities , 169, 105237.
Li, R., Tao, S., Wu, X., & Tao, F. (2022). Association between youth media multitasking and working memory and attention: A meta-analysis. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 22(2), 196-201.
Wallace, J., Boers, E., Ouellet, J., et al. (2023). Screen time, impulsivity, neuropsychological functions and their relationship to growth in ADHD symptoms. Scientific Reports , 13, 18108.
Aitken, A. et al. (2024). The effect of social media consumption on emotion and executive functioning in college students. Research Square (fNIRS neuroimaging study).
Chiossi, F., Haliburton, L., Ou, C., et al. (2023). Short-form videos degrade our capacity to retain intentions: Effect of context switching on prospective memory.
Research on heavy digital technology use has increasingly focused on attention, memory and critical thinking. The findings are nuanced. Technology can enhance learning when used deliberately, but excessive use appears to correlate with weaker engagement of higher-order thinking. Studies on social media use among children and adolescents suggest that heavy exposure is associated with declines in attention, working memory and executive functioning, particularly when usage becomes addictive or highly frequent. Excessive social media use has been linked with impaired attention and reduced working memory, even though some educational uses of these platforms can aid language learning and knowledge acquisition.
Research on AI use points to a related mechanism: cognitive offloading — the delegation of mental tasks such as memory, reasoning or problemsolving to external tools. Studies indicate that higher levels of AI tool use correlate with greater cognitive offloading and weaker critical-thinking scores. An MIT study conducted between April and July 2025 found a decline in cognitive abilities in the group using AI for defined tasks compared to an equivalent control group.
Broader reviews of digital technology use show two additional cognitive patterns. The first is digital amnesia: when devices become the default storehouse of memory, internal recall weakens. The second is attention fragmentation: algorithm-driven feeds and rapid content switching strain sustained attention and encourage shallow information processing. Taken together, these findings point to what some researchers call an “efficiency-atrophy paradox”. Technology improves shortterm performance and speed, but may also reduce opportunities for the brain to practice complex reasoning and memory formation.
Why does this happen? Because the brain develops through neuroplasticity: neural circuits strengthen when they are repeatedly activated. Learning occurs when neurons that “fire together” form stronger synaptic connections. Activities that demand sustained attention, reasoning and problem-solving stimulate these networks and strengthen them over time. The brain’s prefrontal cortex, located behind the forehead, plays a central role in executive functions — planning, decision-making, impulse control and goal-directed behaviour. These abilities are essential for judgment, leadership and long-term thinking. Yet this region reaches full maturity only around ages 21 to 25, making it the last major part of the brain to fully develop.
During adolescence and early adulthood, neural networks responsible for executive control are still forming. Studies of youth brain development show that structural brain networks gradually reorganise during this period, enabling improvements in working memory, cognitive flexibility and decision-making. Cognitive abilities are therefore shaped significantly by the activities the brain repeatedly performs during these years. Just as muscles strengthen through physical exercise, cognitive networks strengthen through demanding mental activity — reading deeply, solving problems, debating and practising complex reasoning.
The reverse is also true. When cognitive tasks are consistently delegated to external systems, the brain gets fewer opportunities to exercise these circuits. Social media platforms and AI systems often reduce the need for sustained mental effort. Algorithms curate information streams, while AI tools can summarise text, generate arguments, solve problems and produce writing. These tools undoubtedly enhance productivity, but excessive reliance can reduce how often individuals engage in cognitively demanding tasks. Research shows that when AI performs analytical work, users may engage less in independent reasoning and evaluation. This is particularly concerning in education, where young users may outsource summarising readings, writing essays or solving problems to AI systems. When cognitive effort declines, learning risks becoming superficial.
For developing brains, the risk is greater. Adolescents are often more sensitive to rewards and novelty because brain systems related to emotion and reward develop earlier than the executive control systems of the prefrontal cortex. Since executive functions mature only into the mid-twenties, young people may be especially vulnerable to technologies designed to maximise engagement. Heavy exposure to algorithmic feeds and instant answers can therefore produce a pattern in which attention becomes fragmented, deep learning declines, and cognitive skills such as memory, reasoning and sustained focus receive less practice. In effect, the brain’s “exercise regimen” changes. Instead of training reflection and sustained reasoning, it increasingly trains rapid navigation, scanning and reaction.
This has implications not just for families, but for societies and nations. Govts are beginning to experiment with regulatory guardrails around social media and digital technologies. One of the most notable examples is Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, which bars children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms. The law requires companies to prevent under-age accounts, with significant penalties for non-compliance.
The policy reflects growing concern that unrestricted social media exposure contributes to digital addiction and mental-health risks among adolescents. Other jurisdictions are exploring similar approaches. In India, Karnataka has announced plans to ban social media use for children under 16, positioning itself among the first regions in the country to move in this direction. European countries, including Sweden, have also debated stricter rules around children’s screen time and digital access, reflecting a broader recognition that digital environments may require safeguards similar to those applied to other public-health risks.
These policy initiatives generally pursue three objectives: protecting developing brains during the years when executive functions are still forming; reducing addictive platform design, including infinite scroll and algorithmic engagement loops; and encouraging balanced technology use that complements rather than replaces human cognition. Regulation, in other words, need not aim to eliminate technology. It is about shaping the conditions under which it is used, especially for the young.
So what should India do? If excessive reliance on social media and AI can alter attention, memory and critical thinking through cognitive offloading and attention fragmentation, better regulation is needed. The central insight from neuroscience is simple: the brain develops through use. Cognitive abilities strengthen when exercised and weaken when routinely delegated to external systems. Because the executive-control centres of the brain mature only in the early to mid-twenties, the effects of these technologies may be especially consequential for young people.
This emerging scientific understanding helps explain why policymakers are beginning to introduce guardrails around digital technologies — from age-based social media restrictions in Australia to proposals in Karnataka. As societies adapt to the AI age, the challenge will be to harness the immense benefits of these technologies while ensuring that human cognition continues to develop and flourish.
The writer is director and professor of marketing and international business, MDI Gurgaon
Fabio, R. A., & Picciotto, G. (2026). The relationship between social media use and adolescent inattention and impulsivity: A systematic review.
Research in Developmental Disabilities , 169, 105237.
Li, R., Tao, S., Wu, X., & Tao, F. (2022). Association between youth media multitasking and working memory and attention: A meta-analysis. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 22(2), 196-201.
Wallace, J., Boers, E., Ouellet, J., et al. (2023). Screen time, impulsivity, neuropsychological functions and their relationship to growth in ADHD symptoms. Scientific Reports , 13, 18108.
Aitken, A. et al. (2024). The effect of social media consumption on emotion and executive functioning in college students. Research Square (fNIRS neuroimaging study).
Chiossi, F., Haliburton, L., Ou, C., et al. (2023). Short-form videos degrade our capacity to retain intentions: Effect of context switching on prospective memory.
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