Loading...
In China, 663 million people use smartphones, including the WeChat app, which is similar to Facebook but with many additional functions, such as shopping and banking. To test the relationship between WeChat usage and brain morphology, researchers conducted a study of 61 university students (mean age, 22; 40 males) who underwent MRI scans and completed self-report questionnaires on WeChat addiction, depression, and anxiety.
Data were also collected on the total time spent on WeChat, both for personal use and work projects, and the frequency of paying bills or traffic fines, texting, and voice messaging. MRIs of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (a region that shows decreased activation with depression) showed lower gray-matter volumes a…