A University of Cambridge-led study reveals that teenagers experience heightened threat responses after periods of isolation, even with social media interaction, highlighting potential links to rising anxiety in adolescents.
A new study led by the University of Cambridge has uncovered a significant and troubling link between isolation and heightened threat responses in teenagers, even when they are virtually connected. This discovery sheds light on the growing mental health crises affecting young people globally, particularly increases in anxiety disorders.
The cognitive neuroscience experiment, published today in the journal Royal Society Open Science, involved 40 adolescents aged 16-19.
The research team examined the effects of isolation by testing participants before and after several hours alone, sometimes with access to their smartphones. The study’s findings suggest that isolation might exacerbate the vigilant threat responses that can lead to anxiety.
“We detected signs of heightened threat vigilance after a few hours of isolation, even when the adolescents had been connected through smartphones and social media,” lead author Emily Towner, a doctoral student at Cambridge’s Department of Psychology and a Gates Cambridge Scholar, said in a news release.
This research marks the first time such effects have been observed in humans, expanding on previous animal studies.
The participants in the study were isolated in a controlled environment, with some allowed to use their phones to connect with friends and family, while others had no external connections. Despite these variations, all participants showed increased sensitivity to threats post-isolation.
“This alertness to perceived threats might be the same mechanism that leads to the excessive worry and inability to feel safe, which characterizes anxiety,” added Towner.
The study found that threat responses were 70% higher after isolation sessions, irrespective of whether participants were connected digitally.
The researchers used a variety of methods to measure threat vigilance, including the Pavlovian threat test and electrodermal activity monitors, to gauge stress levels physiologically.
The study highlights a critical issue in adolescent mental health, particularly in light of the modern reliance on digital forms of communication.
Co-senior author Livia Tomova, a lecturer in psychology at Cardiff University, noted the particular importance of this finding.
“Loneliness among adolescents around the world has nearly doubled in recent years. The need for social interaction is especially intense during adolescence, but it is not clear whether online socializing can fulfill this need,” Tomova said in the news release.
Despite the mitigation provided by virtual connections during isolation, the participants’ threat responses remained elevated.
Towner emphasized the paradox, adding, “Although virtual social interactions helped our participants feel less lonely compared to total isolation, their heightened threat response remained.”
The implications of this study are particularly significant given the U.S. Surgeon General’s declaration of an epidemic of loneliness and isolation in 2023. The findings could lead to better understanding and intervention strategies for adolescent mental health issues, suggesting that face-to-face interactions might be crucial in mitigating anxiety and related conditions.
As the digital age rapidly changes social dynamics, these insights underscore the importance of addressing the root causes of loneliness and isolation among young people to foster better mental well-being.