Media use and brain development during adolescence

Eveline A. Crone*, Elly A. Konijn

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

The current generation of adolescents grows up in a media-saturated world. However, it is unclear how media influences the maturational trajectories of brain regions involved in social interactions. Here we review the neural development in adolescence and show how neuroscience can provide a deeper understanding of developmental sensitivities related to adolescents' media use. We argue that adolescents are highly sensitive to acceptance and rejection through social media, and that their heightened emotional sensitivity and protracted development of reflective processing and cognitive control may make them specifically reactive to emotion-arousing media. This review illustrates how neuroscience may help understand the mutual influence of media and peers on adolescents' well-being and opinion formation.

Original languageEnglish
Article number588
Number of pages10
JournalNature Communications
Volume9
Issue number1
Early online date21 Feb 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2018

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