Excessive internet use may cause parts of teenagers’ brains to waste away, a study reveals. Scientists discovered signs of atrophy of grey matter in the brains of heavy internet users that grew worse over time. This could affect their concentration and memory, as well as their ability to make decisions and set goals. It could also reduce their inhibitions and lead to ‘inappropriate’ behaviour。

　　在这个网络泛滥的年代，各式各样的智能手机、社交网络让爆炸化的信息充斥着我们的生活，我们的生活因网络变得紧密，与此同时，我们的生活也因网络而愈渐疏远。有消息称，青少年过度使用英特网会损害部分大脑功能，科学家发现了滥用网络的青少年的大脑中有萎缩的灰质成分，随着使用网络的时间增长，萎缩的灰质部分有增大的趋势。专家称，这会影响他们的注意力以及记忆力，还有决策力。

　　Researchers took MRI brain scans from 18 university students, aged 19, who spent eight to 13 hours a day playing games online, six days a week. The students were classified as internet addicts after answering eight questions, including whether they had tried to give up using computers and whether they had lied to family members about the amount of time they spent online. The researchers compared them with a control group of 18 students who spent fewer than two hours a day on the internet。

　　研究员针对18名年龄为19岁的大学生进行脑部核磁共振成像分析，这些学生每周至少有6天玩网络游戏的时间从8小时到13小时不等，而这些孩子又被认定为不同程度上的“网络上瘾症”。此外，这些孩子被要求回答许多问答题，题目包括他们何时曾经试图“戒网”？或者是否对父母撒谎自己网上游戏的时间程度。专家拿这些“网瘾”孩子的数据与另一组相对比较少上网的孩子做对比。

　　One set of MRI images focused on grey matter at the brain’s wrinkled surface, or cortex, where the processing of memory, emotions, speech, sight, hearing and motor control occurs. Comparing grey matter between the two groups revealed atrophy within several small regions of all the online addicts’ brains. The scans showed that the longer their internet addiction continued, the ‘more serious’ the damage was。

　　对比后发现，两组青少年在脑部核磁共振成像图上有较大区别，(大脑皮层是独特而深深的由沟回组成的表面，它可以组成灰质)，“网瘾少年”的大脑在记忆力区、情感区、语言区、视力区、和听力区等相比另一组青少年来说相对都较差。

　　‘Our results suggested long-term internet addiction would result in brain structural alterations,’ they said. The study, published in the PLoS ONE journal, was carried out by neuroscientists and radiologists at universities and hospitals in China, where 24million youths are estimated to be addicted to the internet. In Britain, children spend an average of five hours and 20 minutes a day in front of TV or computer screens, according to estimates by the market-research agency Childwise。

　　专家说：“我们的研究发现，长时间的网瘾生活习惯会彻底改变大脑的整体结构。这项研究结果发表在《公共科学图书馆·综合》期刊上。网瘾问题在中国青少年中必须引起广泛的重视，因为在中国，有240万年轻人深陷网络而不可自拔。而在英国，孩子们平均每日花5个小时20分钟的时间用在电子产品上，网瘾造成的负面影响不容忽视。”