Marciano publishes chapter in Handbook of Non-Substance Addictive Behaviors
Assistant professor Laura Marciano co-authored a chapter, “Unpacking digital addictions through the lens of neuroscience,” published in the Handbook of Non-Substance Addictive Behaviors. Marciano wrote the chapter with Benjamin Backer of University of Hong and Christian Montag of University of Macau.
The chapter moves beyond traditional self-report surveys to examine the neurobiological factors behind problematic digital media use. Marciano and her co-authors synthesize research on brain correlates, genetics, epigenetics, and hormones tied to conditions such as internet gaming disorder, internet addiction, and problematic smartphone use, offering a science-based framework for understanding why some digital habits become compulsive.
The chapter was published in July and is available for free through Zenodo.
Marciano continues to explore questions about digital media and well-being through the HappyB and HappyB2.0 projects, which examine connections between smartphone and social media use and teen well-being. She joined The Media School after nearly four years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and remains an associate at the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital.