Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Early Adolescent Male Mice
Published on: January 24, 2025
Media use and brain development during adolescence
Eveline A Crone1, Elly A Konijn2
1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333AK, Leiden, Netherlands. ecrone@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
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.
Related Concept Videos
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence
Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition
Microbial Growth Media
Sustainable Development
Language Development
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...

