Media Violence Effects on Brain Development: What Neuroimaging Has Revealed and What Lies Ahead
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Substantial research has indicated that media violence induces both short- and long-term increases in aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Recently, neuroimaging techniques have begun to identify the mechanisms driving these changes. An important avenue that these neuroimaging tools can address is how exposure to media violence in childhood affects brain development, which can have lifelong behavioral consequences. This review highlights neuroimaging research examining how media violence exposure affects the pediatric brain. While such research is limited, evidence suggests that prefrontal mechanisms for controlling emotion and behavior are altered by exposure to violent media. Therefore, long-term increases in aggression and decreases in inhibitory control due to excessive media violence exposure may result from impaired development of prefrontal regions. However, additional neuroimaging research is necessary to establish whether and how exposure to media violence specifically shapes subsequent neural maturation. To optimize the use of neuroimaging in this inquiry, imaging studies should not stand on their own, but instead must be integrated with more traditional research paradigms to establish a more complete picture of effects. Future research must employ more longitudinal approaches to better characterize long-term effects that high exposure to violent screen media may have on brain development, particularly prefrontal and limbic brain regions.
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Media content has been found to impact neural functioning.
“More generally, media content has been found to impact neural functioning.”
From Becoming a sexual being: The “elephant in the room” of adolescent brain development (2017) · cites this paper as Hummer, 2015
Limited exposure to violent media among adolescents has been found to affect the developmental trajectories of frontal inhibitory systems and subcortical limbic structures, as well as the connectivity between them, and may have some effect on violent behavior.
“limited exposure to violent media among adolescents has been found to affect the developmental trajectories of frontal inhibitory systems and subcortical limbic structures, as well as the connectivity between them, and may have some effect on violent behavior”
From Becoming a sexual being: The “elephant in the room” of adolescent brain development (2017) · cites this paper as Hummer, 2015
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Becoming a sexual being: The “elephant in the room” of adolescent brain development
Suleiman, A. B., Galván, A., Harden, K. P., & Dahl, R. E. (2017) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2016.09.004 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
- Authors
- Hummer, T. A.
- Affiliations
- Indiana University School of Medicine (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hummer, Tom A.
- ORCID
- Hummer, Tom A.
- Venue
- American Behavioral Scientist
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2015-07-22
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 14
- Pages
- 1790-1806
- ISSN
- 0002-7642 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-3381
- OpenAlex
- W1818911832
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 3.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- American Behavioral Scientist (publishedVersion)
- IUScholarWorks (Indiana University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Purdue University Indianapolis (Indiana University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Digital Technology
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
- Keywords
- media violence, brain development, children's exposure, aggression, inhibitory control, prefrontal cortex, limbic system, neuronal maturation
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