Associations between social media and crystallized and fluid performance trajectories in early adolescence

2025/12/01 by Cory Carvalho, Niyantri Ravindran
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Child Development and Digital Technology #Impact of Technology on Adolescents #Mental Health via Writing

paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/jora.70125

openalex publication_date 2025/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/12/26 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25

Abstract

Abstract Longitudinal evidence on social media use and cognitive abilities trajectory coupling across early adolescence is sparse. In this study, data from the ABCD Study (Baseline N ~ 12,000; M age = 9.9; White = 52.0%, Hispanic = 20.3%, Black = 15.0%, Asian = 2.1%, Other = 10.5%; Female = 47.8%) were used to examine whether growth processes in social media use and cognitive performances (i.e., crystallized abilities, inhibitory control/attention, and processing speed) were associated over 4 years in early adolescence. Parallel process latent growth curve models revealed that the trajectory of social media use was negatively coupled with crystallized and inhibitory control/attention performance trajectories, indicating potential trade‐offs. Conversely, the trajectories of social media and processing speed were positively coupled, possibly due to practice‐based transfer.

Citations

• Longitudinal associations between digital media use and ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents: a systematic literature review
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• Brain Plasticity Through the Life Span: Learning to Learn and Action Video Games
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