@gvanhoffelen.bsky.social was a guest on the @vrtnws.be Late News. With @timverheyden.bsky.social, VRT's digital media expert, she contextualized the recent social media ban in Australia and answered live questions from viewers about the impact of social media on youth👏 📺 www.vrt.be/vrtmax/a-z/v...

In an interview with the Dutch newspaper @nu.nl, our PhD student @gvanhoffelen.bsky.social explained the implications of Australia’s social-media ban for children under 16. Read the article below for more details. www.nu.nl/tech/6378867...

@lauravandenbosch.bsky.social and @jasminarosic.bsky.social wrote a blog for @medialearning.bsky.social, sharing key insights from the @erc.europa.eu MIMIc project, wrapping up this year. 🧠 Curious about what the research uncovered? Read the full blog: media-and-learning.eu/subject/medi...

@lisemarienassen.bsky.social spoke with @vtmnieuws.be about a Harvard study showing that social media detox can benefit well-being 🎥 youtube.com/shorts/7CJ59... With @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social she also discussed teens' disconnection habits in @standaard.be 📰 www.standaard.be/binnenland/l...

Parasocial has been named the Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year. @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social was invited to @vrtnws.be Laat to unpack what parasocial interactions really are and why they’ve become so central in our increasingly digital media landscape 📺Watch: www.vrt.be/vrtmax/a-z/v...

Great news from the Media Psychology Lab! 🎉 Femke Konings was elected Secretary of ICA’s Mass Communication Division, and Lise-Marie Nassen of the Mobile Communication Division. Ellen Van Houtven joined NeFCA’s Media Psychology Division as PhD Rep, and Ines Boeckxstaens the Young Scholars Network. 👏

We had the honor of hosting Prof. Erica Scharrer from the @umassamherst.bsky.social! During her visit, she delivered inspiring lectures for our Master’s students and research department on 'Sephora Kids', social media, aging anxiety, and skincare consumer behavior, sparking interesting discussions

Our postdoctoral researcher @gonzalezanaelle.bsky.social won 3rd place at the One Health Day Art & Photography Competition by #OneHealthInstitution for her poem–collage The Object. The piece reflects on how screens & social media connect and distance us from ourselves, others, and our environments.

We were delighted to host Alfredo Zarco Alpuente (University of Valencia) for a research stay! Hosted by @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social, he and @jasminarosic.bsky.social examined the views of parents, teachers, and coaches on young athletes' digital well-being. Best of luck with your PhD, Alfredo!

@lauravandenbosch.bsky.social has been taking part in an @erc.europa.eu pilot project with a select group of grantees on data access for research under the Digital Services Act. On 22 October, the ERC will host an event to share insights from this project.👀Interested? erc.europa.eu/news-events/...

To what extent and which adolescents experience positive digital experiences? In a recent KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute blog post, @jasminarosic.bsky.social and @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social explore this question. 🔗 Read more: www.kuleuven.be/child-youth/...

Our PhD student @margotlissens.bsky.social returned from a research stay with @desireeschmuck.bsky.social at the @vmci-univie.bsky.social. She worked on an ongoing project and participated in the symposium “How Digital Interventions Affect Political Attitudes and Knowledge among Young Citizens”.

🎓Congratulations to @jasminarosic.bsky.social for defending her PhD: “Growing up in a digital world: Understanding the perceived positive experiences of digital media use among (disadvantaged) adolescents” supervised by @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social & Bojana Lobe, and funded by @erc.europa.eu.

🎓Last Monday, @gonzalezanaelle.bsky.social successfully defended her PhD dissertation “Politics Undercover: Understanding the role of social media personalities in adolescents’ development of the political self,” supervised by @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social and funded by @erc.europa.eu👏Congrats!

We attended the @digisoc.bsky.social International Conference for an Inclusive Digital Society in Leuven.👏@robynvanherle.bsky.social (co-)presented 2 mHealth studies, 1 with @svestkova-ady.bsky.social, @irtis.bsky.social. @luca-carbone.bsky.social presented on meritocratic masculinities in music.

Last week @ines-b.bsky.social & @laraschreurs.bsky.social took part in the 14th Media Psych Conference in Duisburg. Ines presented their study on parental mediation of children’s digital media and participated in the pre-conference doctoral workshop. Thanks to the organizers for the inspiring days!

In a recent SWAY (Social Sciences for Society) blog, @femkekonings.bsky.social, @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social, & Sindy Sumter unpack how mobile dating apps shape young adults’ self-image, relationships, and well-being. 👉 soc.kuleuven.be/sway/verhale...

Yesterday, our Lab joined Eetexpert’s Kennisdag on youth body satisfaction. @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social shared new findings on social media and body perception, while @nelejanssens.bsky.social & @laurededecker.bsky.social presented media parenting practices. Thanks, Eetexpert for an inspiring day!

✨ We’re wrapping up our writing retreat—reflecting on our work from the past year and recharging with fresh ideas. Feeling inspired and ready to the new academic year ahead!

📺 Prof. @kathbeullens.bsky.social (KU Leuven) in De Afspraak over het #smartphoneverbod in het onderwijs. Hoe vullen scholen dit in? Hoe controleer je naleving? En: helpt het écht tegen schermverslaving? 👉 Herbekijk via VRT Max: www.vrt.be/vrtmax/a-z/d...

🎉Great news from our team: our PhD student Esmée Mooren has received the University Study Prize from Radboud University Nijmegen for her master’s thesis “They have made me prouder”: A generational perspective on the collective histories and future of lesbian representation. www.ru.nl/en/about-us/...

🌞 Here’s a look back at the research our team and valued collaborators published during summer 2025.

Our research from the MIMIc project, funded by the @erc.europa.eu, has been featured in HORIZON: the EU Research & Innovation magazine! 📰 Read the full article: projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/horizon-m... 🎥 Watch the video feature: www.facebook.com/horizon.maga...

🧠✨ New from the Media Psychology Lab: Research on adolescents, social media, influencers, digital well-being & more — new publications from May–June 2025! Find out more: soc.kuleuven.be/smc/news/med...

Doctor with a Green Voice: Dr. Dekoninck successfully defended her PhD!🎓 We are thrilled to announce that @heleendekoninck.bsky.social from our lab has successfully defended her PhD in July! Read more: soc.kuleuven.be/smc/news/dr-...

Two major projects from the Media Psychology Lab are coming to an end: MIMIc Project and #SmokeFree Project. On October 25, we will organize a study day in Leuven to share insights and practical tools from the projects. Join us! Participation is free, but registration is required.

Some takeaways from our MIMIc project! www.projectmimic.eu

📍 Proud of our strong presence at #ICA2025 in Denver! Our lab members presented research on mobile media, identity, digital well-being, political influencers & more. 👏 Congrats to all presenters! 📄 Full overview: soc.kuleuven.be/smc/ica-2025...

PhD researchers from our lab were recognized with Top Paper Awards at #ICA2025! 🔹 @elienbeelen.bsky.social – Trigger warnings & media effects 🔹 @margotlissens.bsky.social – Gen Z news consumption 🔹 @darianharff.bsky.social – Trust in political influencers See more: soc.kuleuven.be/smc/news/phd...

Postdocs in the spotlight at #ICA2025 🔹 @luca-carbone.bsky.social won the Top Dissertation Award (CAM Division) for their work on success narratives in music. 🔹 @femkekonings.bsky.social received the Top Poster Award for her study on sexualized self-presentation on dating apps. Congrats to both!

We are proud to share that Prof. @kathbeullens.bsky.social received the Senior Scholar Award from ICA’s Children, Adolescents, and Media Division! Honored for her impactful research, leadership, and dedication to mentorship. A well-deserved recognition!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to represent the @mediapsychologylab.bsky.social at the SSH Research Day of @kuleuven.bsky.social on 'AI in and for Humanities and Social Sciences' with a poster on two research projects within the lab.

We proudly share that Professor @laraschreurs.bsky.social has received the 2025 KU Leuven Research Council Prize for the Humanities & Social Sciences!🏆 This award recognizes her theoretical and empirical work and community-driven interventions to empower adolescents in their social media literacy

New season, new publications! 🌸 Here's what our research group has published in March and April 2025: soc.kuleuven.be/smc/news/med...

@svestkova-ady.bsky.social finished her 3-month stay from @irtis.bsky.social. She worked on a longitudinal study on adolescent mHealth app use & wellbeing with @kathbeullens.bsky.social &@robynvanherle.bsky.social and led a seminar on how we navigate health online. Excited for future collaborations!

At the insightful MediaNest Study Day @mediawijs.bsky.social, @nelejanssens.bsky.social, @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social, @kathbeullens.bsky.social, Mariek Vanden Abeele, @laraschreurs.bsky.social shared findings on media parenting, youth's media use, and social media literacy tool Vibe Check.

The Media Psychology Lab has been awarded the Society Award 2025 by KU Leuven’s Humanities and Social Sciences Group, recognizing our research’s societal impact and public relevance. We are honored by this recognition and committed to continuing research that bridges media, well-being, and society!

Have you ever wondered who's behind the social media posts of the @journalcam.bsky.social?👀 That it’s our PhD student, @gonzalezanaelle.bsky.social, who has recently taken on the role of Social Media Editor for the journal!🎉 Go give the journal a follow if you haven’t already!

Last week marked the end of @lisemarienassen.bsky.social’s 6-week research stay at the OSU School of Communication where she collaborated with @joebayer.bsky.social's Mobile Social Cognition Lab.📱This stay fostered collaborations on perceptions of social media use, addictiveness, and disconnection.

@nelejanssens.bsky.social is visiting @stineliv.bsky.social at @au.dk (Denmark). They're collaborating on a paper about digital media & family interactions, using qualitative media diaries and in-depth interviews. Nele also gave a seminar & guest lecture for the international master’s program.

In fall 2024, @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social, @kathbeullens.bsky.social & other experts joined ECAT @ec.europa.eu's roundtables on how digital platforms affect children’s health. The findings are available in a report aiming to support the #DigitalServicesAct implementation& protect children online📘

🌍Happy #WorldHealthDay! Our research on how media impacts well-being helps improve health. Last year @kathbeullens.bsky.social, @sofievranken.bsky.social & Femke Geusens's #Smokefree project won the Prize for Science Communication!🎉 Share & give talented researchers the recognition they deserve!

On March 28, Docville, an international film festival at Cinema Zed (Leuven), will screen the documentary Can't Feel Nothing (2024). Following the screening, our @luca-carbone.bsky.social, will discuss youth’s mental health and social media use. Welcome to join!🎬💬 🔗 docville.be/en/film-en?id=23139

We're proud to announce that the MIMIc Project, led by @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social alongside team members @gonzalezanaelle.bsky.social, @jasminarosic.bsky.social, @gvanhoffelen.bsky.social, and @luca-carbone.bsky.social will be featured at Osaka #EXPO2025! www.projectmimic.eu @erc.europa.eu

We celebrate #InternationalWomensDay! Science thrives on diverse perspectives, yet gender inequality in academia persists. Our lab is committed to amplifying female voices in research and breaking barriers. Today, we honor all female researchers shaping the field and inspiring change. 💜

Explore our publications from January and February 📚(soc.kuleuven.be/smc/news/med...) on: 1. Prevention interventions 2.Environmental influencers 3. Online dating 4. Nutrition misinformation 5. Pornography & sexual health 6. Sexual identity 7. Body image 8. Digital media effects 9. Alcohol

Last weekend, our lab participated in KU Leuven Inside, celebrating 600 years of KU Leuven🎉 We presented our research on digital media's effects in a smartphone use expo📱 & our professors @steveneggermont.bsky.social, Kathleen Beullens, & @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social delivered 600-second lectures👩‍🏫

Honored to receive the 2025 Jeffrey Jensen Arnett Dissertation Award from SSEA! ✨ My dissertation explores how mobile dating apps shape emerging adults' dating, identity, and well-being (FWO grant G077420N). Grateful for my supervisors Prof. Dr. Laura Vandenbosch, Prof. Dr. Sindy Sumter!

Grote pornoplatformen beweren dat we met z’n allen minder porno kijken, maar klopt dat wel? 📉📊 Op 19 februari besprak Prof. Dr. Laura Vandenbosch bij VRT NWS Laat de nieuwste cijfers over pornografiegebruik bij jongeren. 🎥 Herbekijk hier (minuut 12:14 - 21:10): www.vrt.be/vrtmax/a-z/v...

🎉 No plans for the weekend? Join us for 600 Years of KU Leuven on 15-16 February! 🔬 Explore cutting-edge research 🎤 600-Second Lectures ft. Steven Eggermont, Kathleen Beullens & Laura Vandenbosch 🖥️ Interactive Mini-Exhibition on Digital Media 📍 Discover the full program: www.kuleuven.be/600jaar/