Social Media and AI Exposure in Preteen Girls: Implications for Changes to Social Motivation and Depression

2026 Award: $240,000

Social media and artificial intelligence is increasingly part of daily life for today’s youth.  Despite ongoing research, we still do not know who is most vulnerable to negative effects of use and how use may shape development. Most kids get their first smartphone by age 12, making the preteen years the pivotal window of time to understand how independent use begins and may influence development of social behavior and mental well-being.

Need/Problem: Youth are increasingly living in a digital world with most kids getting their own smartphone by age 12. The preteen years are very important for healthy social development and long-term well-being. Identifying how social media and artificial intelligence exposure may influence social motivation and risk for depression will inform current guidelines for use in the formative preteen years.

Grant Summary: To identify how social media and artificial intelligence (AI) exposure may influence social motivation and depression, we will gather self-reported and objective data on social media and AI usage in a sample of 75 preteen girls aged 8-12. We will test whether usage is predictive of social motivation and depression symptoms concurrently and 6 months later.

Goals & Projected Outcomes: This study will provide data on how social media and AI exposure in preteen years may influence social motivation toward peers and depressive symptomatology. Results will inform current guidelines on usage for caregivers, schools, and clinicians. Findings will also support future NIH proposals that will follow preteens over time as usage evolves, and link social media and AI usage with other important neurobiological processes unfolding during the transition into adolescence.