Media use and brain development during adolescence.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 29467362.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x and PMC identifier 5821838.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
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.
Medical subject headings
- Adolescent Development
- Brain
- Emotions
- Mental Health
- Psychological Distance
- Social Media