Date of Award

4-6-2026

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Professor Kevin Moore

Second Advisor

Professor Michael Roberts

Third Advisor

Professor Kandyce Denise Anderson Amie

Abstract

Social media and digital technology are a huge part of adolescent life, and people worry a lot about how they affect mental health, behavior, and brain development. It’s easy to think technology is either “good” or “bad,” but the reality is more complicated. This thesis looks at social media’s evolution from early platforms controlled by users to today’s algorithm driven, highly visual environments and how these spaces interact with the developing adolescent brain, which is especially sensitive to social feedback and reward. These features make online interactions feel more intense and harder to step away from. At the same time, platforms are designed to keep users engaged, often exploiting these vulnerabilities. But technology isn’t all negative: it can support connection, learning, self-expression, and identity exploration. By looking at history, neuroscience, and economics together, this work argues the key issue isn’t technology itself, but how it’s built and used, and proposes ways to maximize benefits while reducing harm.

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