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How does social media affect our brains?  February 25, 2026

 

Hey there, and happy Wednesday everyone. I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta. So excited to be filling in again for my buddy Coy Wire.

 

Right now, hopefully he's getting some sleep tackling that jet lag from his trip to Italy. Also, today is your word Wednesday. So listen up, see if the vocabulary words you submitted helped us write today's show.

 

Let's begin though with an updateon a story you should all be following. The unprecedented social media trial that's currently underway in California. The basic question is this.

 

Are social media companies harming younger users' mental health? The answer to that question and the outcome of this trial could shape social media going forward and how more than 1,500 similar cases will be eventually resolved.

 

Tech giants YouTube and Meta are now in week three of their defense in that trial and they deny claims that their platforms are intentionally addictive and harmful to children. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified that he believes his company has handled user safety in a quote reasonable way.

 

The head of Instagram, which is also owned by Meta, added that he does not think users can become quote clinically addicted.

 

But new documents show that back in 2018 some employees at Meta, which was on Facebook, proposed a public review of features like autoplay and endless scrolling. There were concerns even back then that those types of features could contribute to addictive behavior.

 

While the proposed review was never carried out, those features and the concerns about what they do to a still developing brain are at the center of this trial. So let's talk about what we do know about the impact of social media and its impact on mental health. Take a look.

 

One study found that users age 12 to 15 who spent more than three hours a day on social media faced double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety.

 

This is concerning because as of 2021, eighth and tenth graders spent an average of three and a half hours per day on social media. Excessive social media use has also been linked to sleep and attention problems and a Pew survey showed that teens list it as a top threat to their mental health.

 

But at the same time, are there any benefits to social media? Let's take a look at some of the potential positives. A 2025 Pew survey of teens showed 74% said it makes them feel more connected to their friends. 63% said it gave them a place to show off their creative side and 52% said they liked having people support them through tough times.

 

Look, I think the biggest question often asked about social media is why? Why do we keep mindlessly scrolling? Maybe even when we really want to stop. And there are three factors that seem to influence our desire to keep scrolling.

 

How much a person has already watched. How similar the content is that they are viewing and how they are watching it.

 

That means we're more likely to watch more content based on how much we've already seen. The more similar the content is, the easier it is to watch.

 

And we're more likely to keep scrolling if our viewing isn't interrupted by other tasks. So what can we do? What can you do if you feel that your social media use is becoming a problem?

 

Well, in addition to using in-app control such as time limits and filters, we can follow the three W's. They stand for what for, why now, what else? That means when you pick up your phone, ask yourself those questions.

 

in-app [ˈɪnˌæp] adj.（计算机或手机）应用程序所提供的

 

What is the reason I just picked up my phone? Why do I need to do that at this exact moment? And what else could I be doing instead of starting to scroll?

 

Like I'll tell you this, as a parent of three teenage girls,it's a conundrum. I struggle with how to limit the negative aspects of owning a smartphone while still encouraging my kids to stay connected with their friends. One solution, just dial it back, way back.

 

conundrum [kǝˈnʌndrǝm] n. 谜语；难题；机智问答

way back 回归本质

 

In fact, one strategy some parents are using is to install landline phones in common areas in their homes. CNN's Vanessa Jorkevich shows us how families are hanging up on smartphones.

 

landline [ˈlændlaɪn] n. 固网电信，简称固网（landline），又称固定电话、有线电话

hang up 挂断电话, 不再使用; 收起

 

Hello? When it first rang, did you like recognize that it was a phone ring? No, I'm like, is that a fire alarm? Brooks, Harry and Charlotte had never used a landline before their mom, Sarah, got them one for Christmas.

 

I use it a lot because I could call my friends on it. She's probably waiting.

 

Landlines are the latest craze for kids. Parents hoping to push off getting their kids smartphones or ordering modern day Wi-Fi connected landline phones made just for kids.

 

push off 离开

 

I spoke to the CEO of Tin Can. Their phones are on back order through April.

 

back order 待交订（货）单

 

Chet. Hi, Vanessa. I cannot remember the last time I called someone on a landline, honestly.

 

Have you heard that this actually either prolongs the kid asking or acts in place of a cell phone?

 

in place of 代替; 取代

 

What a kid is asking for is almost never a cell phone. What they're asking for is a way to connect with people.

 

The telephone has been around for 150 years. But with the rise of smartphones in just two decades, landlines have all but disappeared.

 

We lost sight of the fact that there was this major population of people that relied on the landline for decades and we left them behind. That's kids and sort of launched headfirst into the mobile era.

 

lose sight of 忘记，忽略

launch headfirst  一头栽进

headfirst [ˈhɛdˈfɝst] adv. 头向前地; 仓促地；鲁莽地

 

Research shows kids who get smartphones at a younger age are more likely to suffer from obesity, depression and not get enough sleep.

 

Why in your mind was a phone, still a version of a phone, but a landline better than a cell phone?

 

No screen. And I thought, well, hey, they're going to have to learn how to communicate.

 

So many kids. The communication is lacking, I feel like.

 

Parents can control who calls in and out, can set hours for use and can add 911 as an option.

 

Sometimes we'll actually we'll fight like, I'll get it. And then every now and then, like I answer it and Harry called dibs first and we actually kind of fight with each other, but don't actually hurt each other. It's just tough love, basically.

 

dibs [dɪbz] n. 对…的所有权（或使用权）

tough love 严厉的爱

 

So what do you think? I think this would be a good time to press pause if you'd like and maybe discuss this with your peers. Maybe start with these questions.

 

Do you feel like social media has had an impact on your mental health? Would you enjoy having a landline in your house? Have you personally taken any steps to try and limit your screen time? And if so, what are they?

 

Time for 10 second trivia.

 

How many major islands make up the Galapagos?

 

Is it 9, 13, 25 or 17?

 

According to the Galapagos Conservancy, there are 13 major islands and numerous smaller islands that make up the archipelago. About 97% of the land is a national park and a protected marine reserve.

 

conservancy [kǝnˈsɝvǝnsɪ] n.（自然资源）保护机构; 自然保护区

 

On Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, famous, by the way, for inspiring Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, a slow and steady comeback is making big environmental strides.

 

On Floriana Island, 158 giant tortoises have been released, restoring a species that had been locally extinct since the 19th century.

 

tortoise [ˈtɔrtǝs] n.【动】陆龟；龟，乌龟

 

The animals were bred over more than a decade at Ecuador's Fausto Llerena and then reintroduced by the country's environmental ministry in Galapagos National Park. The ministry says this milestone is intended to set the stage for the restoration of a dozen native species that are considered locally extinct on the island.

 

set the stage for 为…铺平道路,为…做好准备

 

For us as park rangers, it's a source of pride to release the tortoises here on Floriana Island, something iconic in this restoration process. And we feel very proud to be able to release them on this island.

 

OK, today's story getting a 10 out of 10.

 

You may have heard of a food fight, but have you ever been in a flour fight? In Greece, this is an annual tradition. Hundreds of people in a coastal town marched through the streets, throwing colorful clouds of flour everywhere. Some took the event very seriously.

 

They wore eye protection and even suits, while others, they went without.

 

We are trying, as you can see, with courage and without a suit to become like this. How we end up looking doesn't matter. It's only about the joy and the fun.

 

The event dates back to the 19th century. It marks the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40 day Lent period leading up to Orthodox Easter.

 

Lent [lɛnt] n.（基督教）四旬齋，大齋期（指復活節前的四十天）

orthodox [ˈɔrθǝˌdɑks] adj. 正统的；传统的

 

All right, superstars,we've got some shout outs for you today. But first, a big congratulations to our Your Word Wednesday winner, Ms. Moore at Waverly Shell Rock Middle School. Who submitted Conundrum, a noun meaning a confusing and difficult problem or question.

 

Thank you for making us a little bit smarter today. All right, first shout out is going to Mr. Rodriguez at Orange Center School in Fresno, California. Thank you for making us a part of your classroom.

 

And Mr. Dunn at Grape Creek High School in San Angelo, Texas. And a huge congratulations to the Iron Talents who just won their robotics tournament. Keep up the good work.

 

Thank you for spending some time with us today. We'll see you back here tomorrow. I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and this is CNN 10.