🎓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/

We kicked off this week at the fantastic #Etmaal2025 conference in Bruges!🎉 We thank all participants for making it memorable. Huge thanks to our colleagues for the organization—especially @baldwinvangorp.bsky.social and Yana Borgonjon for their efforts. 🙌

One to remember, #Etmaal2025! Chaired my first session and presented my latest findings on social media content and political learning effects 📱 Proud to have hosted this successful edition with the best colleagues!

It’s a wrap on #Etmaal2025, organized by the Communication Department KU Leuven! It was inspiring to hear so many great discussions and to present our work. Huge thanks to all speakers and participants!

Conference week continues! We’re attending the Leuven Child and Youth Institute conference. There, @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social discussed how online spaces influence users' body image, while @robynvanherle.bsky.social shared insights on how health and risk behaviors are shaped online.

We hope you have enjoyed our presentations at #Etmaal2025. This year, we presented a record number of papers. Check out the full list on our website. Interested in knowing more? Feel free to reach out! soc.kuleuven.be/smc/news/ove...

Happy to have presented the validation process of the Motivations for Social Media Disconnection (MSMD) scale in a great #Etmaal2025 disconnection & well-being panel! Also a shoutout to my co-authors Annabell Halfmann & @kathrinkarsay.bsky.social!

Had the best time at @etmaal2025.bsky.social ✨️ Got to present our collaborative citizen science study on social media influencers' socio-political content ♻️🏳️‍🌈🗳 Cheers also to this amazing KU Leuven team for their efforts in putting together a successful conference!!

The best dissertation award goes to ... Sofie Vranken for her work on alcohol-related social media effects 🥳

Unpacking the longitudinal links between political influencers and youth's political socialization with @gonzalezanaelle.bsky.social @darianharff.bsky.social @margotlissens.bsky.social @desireeschmuck.bsky.social looking forward to continue the conversation in future research 📱📳 #etmaal2025

Proud co-supervisor! @laurededecker.bsky.social shared her intensive study on sexualizing influencers, and @thiwillems.bsky.social rocked her first conference with 2(!) talks on sexual media use at #etmaal2025 🥳 @laraschreurs.bsky.social @steveneggermont.bsky.social @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social

Can self-posting on social media help to combat identity distress? 🤳 @gvanhoffelen.bsky.social shares key insights from our research, revealing the complexities of online self-presentation and its longitudinal impact. #Etmaal2025 @laraschreurs.bsky.social @mediapsychologylab.bsky.social

On the last day of another inspiring & fun #etmaal2025, I presented a paper together with @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social based on the ERC MIMIc project on the longitudinal associations between exposure to influencers and political interest in adolescence @mediapsychologylab.bsky.social